j      PMSByTERlMISM:^- 

I  PriiiG iples  and  Practice 


S:L. Morris 


Q09         *) 


BX  9175  .M62  1922 

Morris,  Samuel  Leslie, 

1854- 

1937. 

Presbyterianism 

Presbyterianism 

Its  Principles  and  Practice 


By 
S.  L.  Morris,  D.  D.,  LL.  D. 


Executive  Secretary  of  Home  Missions, 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the 

United  States 


Author  of 
"At  Our  Own  Door" 

"The  Task  That  Challenges" 

and 
'Christianizing  Christendom" 


"Hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words."  2  Tim.  i :  13. 
"Study  to  show  thyself  approved  unto  God,  a  workman 
that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed  rightly  dividing  the  word 
of  Truth."      2  Tim.  2:15. 

"Earnestly  contend  for  the  faith  which  was  once  delivered 
unto  the  saints."      Jude  3. 


1922 

Presbyterian  Committee  of  Publication 
Richmond,  Va.,       Texarkana,  Ark.-Tex. 


Copyright  1922 

BY 

Presbyterian  Committee  of  Publication 
Richmond,  Va. 


printed  in  u.  s.  a. 

BY 
WHITTET  &  SHEPPERSON,  RICHMOND,  VA. 


Contents; 

I.    PRESBYTERIANISM — ^A   SYSTEM 1 

II.    PRESBYTERIANISM   IN   HiSTORY 19 

III.   PRESBYTERIANISM   AND   CALVINISM 42 

IV.   PRESBYTERIANISM   AND   ChURCH   PolITY 58 

v.  presbyterianism  and  the  sacraments 77 

(The  Lord's  Supper.) 

VI.    PRESBYTERIANISM   AND   THE    SaCRAMENTS 87 

(Baptism.) 

vii.  presbyterianism  and  the  covenant 102 

(Infant  Church  Membership.) 

viii.  presbyterianism  in  action 118 

ix.  presbyterianism  and  catholicity 140 

x.  presbyterianism  and  missions 150 


preface 

THE  purpose  of  this  study  of  the  distinctive  principles  of 
Presbyterianism  is  not  controversial  but  undeniably  apolo- 
getic. It  is  not  in  any  sense  an  attack  upon  systems  which 
differ  from  the  Presbyterian,  but  it  is  an  avowed  defense  of  the 
latter.  In  this  strenuous  age  which  tolerates  only  short  sermons, 
necessarily  devoted  almost  exclusively  to  Evangelism  and  Mis- 
sions, there  is  neither  time,  patience  nor  opportunity  for  instruction 
in  the  doctrinal  principles,  which  are  the  fundamental  basis  of 
faith,  and  which  contribute  materially  to  the  development  of  intel- 
ligent Christian  character.  As  a  consequence  a  generation  of 
Presbyterians  has  arisen  which  knows  not  Calvinistic  theology  and 
Presbyterian  polity.  Sentimentalism  and  indifference  to  truth  are 
calculated  to  produce  moral  flabbiness  instead  of  the  rugged  char- 
acters of  our  forefathers  who  bequeathed  to  posterity  civil  and 
religious  liberty  by  their  moral  heroism  and  sacrificial  service. 

As  an  illustration,  one  of  our  greatest  city  churches,  having  an 
official  body  of  elders  and  deacons  numbering  about  thirty,  asked 
their  pastor  to  organize  them  into  a  class  for  studying  the  princi- 
ples of  their  Church.  At  the  first  meeting  the  pastor  asked  the 
significance  of  the  word  "Presbyterian."  Not  a  man  in  the  num- 
ber could  answer.  This  case  is  not  unique,  but  the  normal  type 
of  the  average  body  of  Presbyterian  officers. . 

The  object  of  this  treatise  on  Presbyterianism  is  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  the  Church  for  doctrinal  instruction.  The  difficulty  in 
the  preparation  of  a  suitable  Text-book  for  denominational  classes 
is  to  avoid  the  merely  technical  and  make  it  popular  enough  to 
interest  thoughtful  young  people  and  the  average  layman,  and  at 
the  same  time  to  give  it  sufficient  scholarship  to  stand  the  test  of 


criticism.    The  task  is  so  difficult  that  it  may  fail  to  satisfy  either 
the  layman  or  the  scholar. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  has  no  denominational  "Shibboleth" 
with  which  to  rally  the  masses, — which  is  both  an  advantage  and  a 
disadvantage.  The  advantage  gained  is  that  it  prevents  Presby- 
terianism  from  being  narrow  and  sectarian,  but  it  is  at  a  distinct 
disadvantage  in  contending  with  the  bigot  characterized  by  intense 
sectarian  propaganda  and  proverbial  zeal.  The  task  of  Presby- 
terianism  is  to  produce  a  loyal,  intelligent  membership,  stalwart  in 
faith  and  character,  yet  liberal  towards  all  evangelical  denomina- 
tions. This  attempt  to  accomplish  the  impossible  is  measurably 
successful  in  cultivating  catholicity  on  the  one  hand  and  denomina- 
tional loyalty  on  the  other. 

This  discussion  of  Presbyterian  principles  and  practice  is  in- 
tended as  a  contribution  to  the  cause  of  that  type  of  Christianity 
which  knows  its  fundamental  faiths  and  joins  heart  and  hand  with 
all  God's  hosts  in  the  advancement  of  the  common  kingdom,  hav- 
ing "one  Lord,  one  faith  and  one  baptism."  The  writer  during 
his  pastorate  sufiFered  for  lack  of  such  a  treatise,  which  could  be 
put  into  the  hands  of  an  inquirer  willing  to  investigate  truth  for 
himself  at  the  cost  of  time  and  thought.  The  author's  purpose 
is  not  only  to  meet  this  long-felt  want  on  the  part  of  pastors,  but 
also  to  furnish  a  Text-book,  'which  can  be  used  by  our  ministry  in 
classes  of  young  people,  training  for  intelligent  leadership,  by 
Bible  Classes  in  our  Sabbath  Schools  seeking  instruction  in  the 
principles  of  their  Church,  and  by  laymen  who  are  dissatisfied 
with  their  lack  of  information  and  are  ambitious  to  be  "workmen 
that  need  not  be  ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth." 
In  some  cases  Mission  Study  Classes  might  be  willing  to  examine 
the  fundamental  principles. of  a  Church,  which  by  its  intelligent 
zeal  has  led  all  denominations  in  the  great  field  of  missionary 
activities. 

Ti 


To  meet  the  need  of  the  denomination,  in  educating  its  membet  - 
ship  for  loyal  service  in  the  cause  of  Christ  and  His  Kingdom,  is 
surely  a  worthy  ambition  justifying  the  purpose  of  this  study. 
Such  has  been  the  thought  of  the  author  in  its  production,  which 
he  now  sends  out  on  its  mission  with  the  sincere  prayer  that  it 
may  educate,  stimulate  and  develop  the  spiritual  life  oi  the  Church, 
which  will  bring  forth  the  fruit,  in  future  generations,  of  more 
intelligent  and  consecrated  leadership  of  the  Lord's  militant  hosts. 

Samuel  Leslie  Morris. 

Atlanta,  Ga. 


vil 


CHAPTER  I 

Truth  is  ever  consistent  with  itself.  Given  a  few  fundamental 
principles  and  they  necessitate  certain  other  kindred  truths  form- 
ing a  complete  system.  As  in  a  well-articulated  fabric  of  network 
each  separate  stitch  binds  the  constituent  parts — or  unravels  the 
whole — so  the  web  of  divine  truth  is  woven  like  the  robe  of  the 
Master,  without  seam  throughout.  This  is  alike  true  in  the  realm 
of  Nature,  in  the  domain  of  Philosophy  and  in  the  sphere  of 
Religion. 

Basic  Principle. 

The  Natural  Sciences  are  based  largely  upon  this  principle. 
By  virtue  of  this  fact  the  comparative  anatomist  can  reconstruct 
the  entire  skeleton  of  an  extinct  animal  from  the  merest  fragment 
of  a  bone.  The  records  of  science  furnish  well-authenticated  cases 
where  such  men  as  Professors  Owen,  Kaup  and  Cuvier,  from 
fragments  of  bone  or  tooth,  have  restored  the  entire  skeleton  of 
prehistoric  species,  and  subsequent  discoveries  have  corroborated 
the  correctness  of  their  conclusions.  Systems  of  philosophy  are 
likewise  held  together  by  kindred  and  consistent  principles. 

In  keeping  with  this  same  principle  Calvinism  constitutes  a  well- 
articulated  system  of  truth,  which  not  only  hangs  together  by 
virtue  of  its  logical  consistency,  but  involves  the  whole  of  Pres- 
byterian conception  of  theology  and  life.  The  denial  of  scriptural 
predestination,  for  example,  consistently  necessitates  the  rejection 
of  the  sovereignty  of  God,  divine  foreknowledge,  special  providence, 
limited  atonement,  human  inability,  the  sole  efficiency  of  the  Spirit 
in  regeneration,  and  the  final  perseverance  of  the  saints.  One 
stitch  dropped  from  the  web  of  divine  truth  rends  it  in  twain,  or 
warps  the  whole,  according  to  the  bias  of  perverted  human  judg- 
ment. William  of  Orange,  the  illustrious  Calvinist,  author  of 
religious  liberty  throughout  the  Anglo-Saxon  world,  according  to 


Macaulay,  declared  that  he  could  not  abandon  the  doctrine  of 
predestination  without  abandoning  with  it  all  his  belief  in  a 
superintending  providence  and  becoming  a  mere  Epicurean. 

The  Presbyterian  System. 

While  the  Presbyterian  form  of  Government  is  not  a  part  of 
the  Calvinistic  system  of  theology,  yet  the  two  are  so  closely 
related  that  any  hybrid  alliance  of  Arminian  theology  and  Pres- 
byterian polity  has  never  prospered  but  has  eventually  fallen  apart 
by  reason  of  the  fact  that  they  constitute  an  unsympathettc  and 
illogical  coalition. 

The  Presbyterian  system,  based  on  the  infallible  Word,,  sus- 
tained by  its  irresistible  logic  and  reinforced  by  its  inherent 
philosophy, — as  expounded  and  defended  In  this  treatise, — is  taken 
in  its  broadest  sense,  as  embracing  both  Calvinistic  theology  and 
Presbyterian  polity  with  all  the  kindred  and  distinctive  principles 
involved.  No  claim  will  be  advanced  that  Presbyterianism,  as 
thus  defined.  Is  essential  to  the  existence  of  the  Church — much 
less  as  necessary  to  salvation — but  It  will  be  advocated  as  the 
most  scriptural  of  all  Biblical  systems  and,  therefore,  fundamental 
to  the  well-being  of  the  Church.  The  things  essential  to  salva- 
tion are  common  to  all  evangelical  branches  of  the  Church;  and 
certain  of  the  distinctive  elements  of  the  Presbyterian  system 
are  shared  also  by  various  religious  bodies  in  one  way  or  another. 

Distinctive  Principles. 

The  purpose  of  this  preliminary  chapter  Is  to  outline  briefly  the 
general  and  distinctive  principles  of  Presbyterianism,  which  will  be 
enlarged,  illustrated  and  re-enforced  by  appeals  to  the  Word  of 
God  In  subsequent  chapters.  Passing  by  those  vital  principles 
held  in  common  with  other  denominations,  such  as  Inspiration  of 
the  Scriptures,  the  Deity  of  Christ,  the  Atonement,  Justification 
by  Faith,  the  Necessity  of  Regeneration,  etc.,  this  inquiry  will  be 
confined  to  the  four  essentials  of  Presbyterianism : 

2 


I. 

The  Word  of  God  as  contained  in  the  Scriptures  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testaments  is  the  only  infallible  rule 
of  Faith  and  Practice. 

Presbyterianism  bases  its  claims  entirely  upon  the  Word  of 
God.  Nothing  else  is  accepted  as  authority ;  and  arguments  based 
upon  history,  reason  or  philosophy  may  be  cited  as  additional 
testimony,  but  they  are  not  the  final  nor  forceful  appeal.  The  state- 
ment of  this  first  principle  will  inevitably  be  challenged  and  met 
by  the  assertion  that  all  denominations  advance  the  same  claim  for 
the  scripturalness  of  their  respective  systems ;  and  yet,  in  the  prac- 
tical application  of  the  principle,  there  is  a  vast  and  important 
difference. 

Variations  Illustrated. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  bases  its  claim  upon  the  Scriptures, 
but  not  exclusively.  It  places  the  Church  and  even  traditions  on 
equal  footing  with  the  Word.  Recently  the  writer  and  a  Romish 
priest  were  drawn  into  an  argument  as  to  the  ultimate  authority  in 
religion,  and  when  the  former  quoted  Scripture,  the  priest  appealed 
to  the  Church  as  the  authority  that  producd  the  Scriptures,  and 
that  determined  the  canon  of  Scriptures,  and,  therefore,  as  the 
supreme  authority.  This  fact,  therefore,  sets  aside  its  claims  as 
being  based  solely  on  the  Word  of  God. 

The  Rationalist  and  others  profess  to  accept  the  Scriptures  as 
authority,  but  when  confronted  with  the  scriptural  doctrines  of  the 
Sovereignty  of  God  and  the  free-agency  of  man,  they  reject  the 
former  on  the  ground  that  the  two  are  in  their  judgment  contra- 
dictory in  the  sphere  of  reason.  This  is  equivalent  to  setting  up 
their  finite  human  judgment,  perverted  by  sin,  as  of  higher 
authority  than  the  Bible.  There  is  beyond  all  question  a  legiti- 
mate place  for  reason  in  enabling  us  to  understand  and  interpret 
divine  Revelation.  The  Scriptures  appeal  always  to  reason  and 
never  ask  us  to  accept  anything  which  is  inconsistent  with  it ;  but 
there  are  mysteries, — "the  deep  things  of  God," — ^beyond  the 
power  of  human  comprehension  to  grasp  fully  in  our  present 


limited  understanding.  Such  must  be  accepted  by  faith  in  the 
spirit  of  the  Apostle,  who  exclaimed :  "O  the  depth  of  the  riches 
both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God !"  If  every  man 
were  at  liberty  to  accept  only  that  part  of  revealed  truth  which 
appeals  to  his  judgment,  there  would  be  no  uniform  standard. 
It  would  be  as  variable  as  individual  thought.  Presbyter ianism, 
therefore,  while  recognizing  the  value  and  function  of  human 
reason  in  ascertaining  "the  mind  of  the  Spirit,"  makes,  it  bow  to 
the  authority  of  God's  Word  as  supreme. 

Speaking  for  another  large  denomination  of  Christians,  Dr. 
Wayland  says :  "The  New  Testament,  the  whole  New  Testament 
and  nothing  but  the  New  Testament  is  our  religion."  This  sets 
aside  practically  the  entire  Old  Testament — as  if  the  New  Tes- 
tament were  a  complete  substitution  for  it,  instead  of  a  supplement. 
The  butterfly  is  not  a  diflferent  creature  from  the  caterpillar,  but 
is  the  same  creature  with  wings.  In  like  manner  the  Old  Tes- 
tament is  the  same  body  of  Truth  more  perfectly  developed  in  the 
New.  As  one  has  strikingly  said :  "The  New  Testament  is  con- 
cealed in  the  Old ;  the  Old  Testament  is  revealed  in  the  New." 
Instead  of  accepting  a  part  of  the  Word  as  authority,  Presby- 
terianism  says:  "The  Bible,  the  whole  Bible  and  nothing  but  the 
Bible  is  our  authority." 

Still  one  more  important  diflference  exists  in  the  use  of  Scrip- 
ture as  the  basis  of  truth.  Some  earnest  Christian  people  appeal 
to  isolated  texts  and  build  their  systems  upon  scriptural  quotations 
scattered  at  random  throughout  the  Word,  Anything  can  be 
proved  from  Scripture  by  this  method — which  accounts  for  the 
variety  of  sects  that  claim  scriptural  foundation.  Presbyterianism 
insists  that  its  system  consists  of  fundamental  principles  which  are 
embodied  in  the  Word  of  God  "from  Genesis  to  Revelation,"  and 
are  so  interwoven  throughout  the  whole  fabric  that  they  cannot  be 
set  aside  without  destroying  the  Bible  itself. 

This  contention  is  of  sufficient  importance  to  justify  an  illustra- 
tion as  a  specimen:  The  form  of  goA^ernment  by  "Elders"  runs 
through  the  whole  Bible.  The  "Elders"  come  to  view  in  the  book 
of  Genesis,  which  can  be  verified  by  any  concordance.  In  Exodus 
18:25  and  24:9;    and  again  in  Numbers   11,   16-30,  a  selection 


of  "seventy"  Elders  from  the  total  number  is  the  foundation 
of  the  Sanhedrim,  the  highest  church  court  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament. In  the  New  Testament,  it  is  said,  "They  ordained  them 
elders  in  every  church."  Then  again  in  Revelation,  which  closed 
the  canon  of  Scripture,  John  looked  through  the  open  door  in 
heaven  and  saw,  "Round  about  the  throne  four  and  twenty  seats ; 
and  upon  the  seats  four  and  twenty  elders  sitting  clothed  in  white 
raiment,  and  they  had  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold."  So  after 
the  manner  of  this  illustration  the  Presbyterian  system  bases  itself 
not  simply  on  isolated  texts  of  Scripture,  but  is  traced  throughout 
the  Word  of  God,  and  belongs  to  every  dispensation  of  the 
Church. 

Presbyterianism  never  once  asks.  What  saith  "antiquity" ;  what 
saith  "tradition";  what  saith  aesthetic  "culture";  or  what  saith 
"historic"  practice ;  but  its  sole  inquiry  is,  what  "saith  the  Lord  ?" 
It  institutes  no  new  methods,  tolerates  no  improvement  on  God's 
ordained  means,  and  attempts  no  changing  of  the  machinery  to 
suit  the  times.  Its  appeal  is  solely  "to  the  law  and  to  the  testi- 
mony." Where  God  speaks,  it  speaks;  where  God  is  silent,  it  is 
silent.  It  bows  to  God's  Word  as  the  sole  authority,  and  it  bows 
to  nothing  else. 

II.      ^ 

Its  System  of  Theology  known  as  Calvinism  exalts  the 
Sovereignty  of  God  and  emphasizes  the  Free- 
Agency  of  Man. 

Calvinism  places  God  on  the  throne  of  the  universe  as  supreme 
Ruler  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  guiding  the. worlds  in  their  orbits 
and  equally  the  mote  that  floats  in  the  sunbeam,  and  as  "fore- 
ordaining for  his  own  glory  whatsoever  cometh  to  pass."  From 
the  dozens  of  scriptural  texts  supporting  this  statement  space 
permits  only  one  as  a  specimen : 

"And  we  know  that  all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them 
that  love  God,  to  them  who  are  the  called  according  to  His  pur- 
pose. For  whom  He  did  foreknow,  He  also  did  predestinate  to 
be  conformed  to  the  image  of  His  Son,  that  He  might  be  the 


firstborn  among  many  brethren.  Moreover  whom  He  did  pre- 
destinate, them  He  also  called,  and  whom  He  called,  them  He 
also  justified ;  and  whom  He  justified  them  He  also  glorified." 
(Romans  8:28-30.) 

For  those  who  accept  implicitly  the  statements  of  Scripture 
this  is  sufficient.  If  it  does  not  carry  conviction,  it  would  be 
unavailing  to  cite  the  hundreds  of  other  proof  texts  equally  per- 
tinent and  forceful. 

Scope. 

Calvinism  is  not  simply  a  system  of  theology  based  upon 
divine  revelation,  but  it  is  as  well  a  philosophy,  which  is  the  only 
adequate  solution  of  the  universe,  and  the  only  intelligent  interpre- 
tation of  providence.  Predestination  is  the  expression  of  the 
purpose  which  in  eternity  past  planned  the  imiverse  according  to 
divine  wisdom.  Providence  is  the  unfolding  of  the  plan  in  the 
execution  of  that  eternal  purpose.  William  of  Orange  asserted 
that  he  believed  in  predestination,  because  he  could  not  worship  a 
God  who  created  a  universe  without  a  plan  and  governed  without 
a  prearranged  purpose.  Many  who  reject  the  name  unwittingly 
accept  the  fact,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  following  conversation  be- 
tween a  Presbyterian  minister  and  an  Arminian  lady : 

Lady:  "Do  you  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  Predestination?" 

Minister:  "Certainly,  and  so  do  you."  ,    , 

Lady:  "Indeed,  I  do  not." 

Minister  :  "Do  you  believe  in  the  necessity  of  being  born 
again  ?" 

Lady  :  "Most  assuredly." 

Minister:  "Who  is  the  author  of  the  new  birth?" 

Lady  :  "Why,  God  of  course." 

Minister:  "Do  you  think  God  regenerates  a  soul  without  a 
previous  purpose  or  without  an  intention  to  regenerate?" 

Lady:  "Why,  certainly  not." 

Minister:  "Well,  does  it  make  any  material  difference  whether 
God  formed  that  purpose  to  regenerate  your  soul  ten  minutes 
beforehand  or  ten  million  years  previous  to  the  event?" 

Lady:  "I  suppose  not." 


Minister  :  "Very  well ;   that  previous   purpose   to   regenerate 
your  soul  is  what  in  Scripture  is  denominated  predestination." 
Lady  :  "Well,  I  never  understood  it  before." 

Sovereignty  vs.  Free-Agency. 

Predestination  is  the  truth  viewed  from  the  divine  standpoint, 
but  Calvinism  insists  equally  upon  the  free-agency  of  man,  which 
is  the  truth  viewed  from  the  human  standpoint.  To  demonstrate 
that  there  is  no  contradiction  between  divine  sovereignty  and 
human  free-agency  is  a  difficult  task;  but  the  truth  may  be 
illustrated  in  various  ways.  The  writer  in  the  night  once  heard 
the  great  town  clock  striking  twelve,  and  at  the  very  same  moment 
in  his  room  the  small  clock  was  striking  the  same  hour.  There 
was  no  connection  between  the  two.  Each  was  running  accord- 
ing to  its  own  schedule,  yet  they  struck  the  hour  simultaneously. 
In  like  manner  the  divine  purpose  in  no  way  forces  the  human 
will ;  and  yet  they  may  and  do  coincide  perfectly. 

Not  only  are  the  two  taught  in  the  Word  of  God,  but  often  in 
the  same  text,  as  for  example,  in  Phil.  2:12-13:  "Work  out  your 
own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling,"  is  a  mockery  if  man  is  a 
machine  and  without  free-agency.  But  immediately  the  Apostle 
adds,  "For  it  is  God  that  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do 
of  His  good  pleasure."  If  that  does  not  affirm  absolute  depend- 
ence upon  "the  good  pleasure"  of  God,  both  as  to  the  "will"  as 
well  as  to  the  "deed,"  then  human  language  is  utterly  inadequate  to 
express  thought. 

Illustrations. 

Scriptural  illustrations  are  hereby  cited  as  the  most  effective 
proofs  of  the  truth  under  consideration.  The  advantage  of 
scriptural  illustrations  is  not  that  God  deals  with  Biblical  charac- 
ters in  a  more  direct  and  providential  way  than  with  his  children 
in  the  twentieth  century,  but  in  scriptural  incidents  and  charac- 
ters we  are  permitted  to  look  behind  the  scenes  and  see  the  pur- 
pose and  working  of  divine  Providence,  thereby  making  them 
"examples;  and  they  are  written  for  our  admonition  upon  whom 
the  ends  of  the  world  are  come."    One  illustration  is  taken  from 


the  Old  Testament  and   tlie  other    from  the  New,   showing  the 
principles  are  the  same  in  all  ages. 

Old  Testament  Illustrations. 

The  story  of  Joseph  is  the  historic  and  inspired  interpretation 
of  the  prearranged  plan  of  an  individual  life  and  of  its  detailed 
fulfilment  by  human  means  according  to  the  divine  purpose  in  the 
execution  of  the  decrees  of  God.  Prophecy  plays  its  part  in  "the 
dreams/*  which  foreshadow  Joseph's  future  preeminence  over  his 
brethren;  but  unless  an  event  is  fixed  by  predetermined  decree 
beyond  contingency,  its  fulfilment  could  not  be  predicted.  The 
free-agency  of  man  is  conspicuous  in  the  use  of  means,  as  revealed 
in  the  wicked  deed  of  his  brethren  acting  voluntarily  and  accord- 
ing to  their  evil  impulses,  as  well  as  all  the  natural  events  in  the 
story  leading  to  the  climax.  At  length  comes  the  full  explanation 
of  the  relation  between  predestination  and  providence  through 
the  lips  of  Joseph,  the  inspired  "interpreter"  of  divine  providence, 
as  he  comforted  his  conscience-stricken  brethren  with  the  assur- 
ance :  "It  was  not  you  that  sent  me  hither  but  God,  for  God  did 
send  me  before  you  to  preserve  life,  to  preserve  you  a  posterity  in 
the  earth  and  to  save  your  lives  by  a  great  deliverance.  As  for  you, 
ye  thought  evil  against  me,  but  God  meant  it  unto  good."  (Gen. 
45  :5,  7  and  50:20.)  If  we  had  a  similarly  inspired  interpretation 
of  any  human  life  it  would  reveal  the  same  divine  purpose,  the 
same  use  of  natural  means,  the  same  benevolent  ends  and  the  same 
fulfilment  of  the  wise  provisions  of  mercy  for  the  future  welfare 
of  God's  children ;  for  He  is  "The  same  yesterday,  and  today  and 
forever." 

Edward  Everett  Hale  has  a  beautiful  tale  based  on  the  story 
of  Joseph  designed  to  illustrate  divine  providence  and  to  show 
the  consequences  which  would  inevitably  result  from  any  inter- 
ference with  God's  plans  for  the  world's  welfare.  The  story  is 
entitled,  "Hands  OflF."  It  represents  a  man  in  another  stage  of 
existence  looking  down  upon  Joseph  in  the  hands  of  the  Midian- 
ites.  By  his  ingenuity  Joseph  manages  to  escape  from  his  captors 
the  first  night  of  his  captivity  and  had  just  reached  the  outer  limit 
of  the  camp  when  a  dog  barked  and  awakened  his  captors,  and 


Joseph  was  returned  to  his  captivity.  The  onlooker  proposed  to 
interfere  and  kill  the  dog  before  he  alarmed  the  camp.  Then 
Joseph  would  have  reached  home  in  safety  and  his  bitter  trials 
have  been  avoided.  But  his  guardian  said,  "Hands  Off."  To  let 
him  see  the  evil  consequences  of  his  interference,  he  transferred 
him  to  another  world  where  he  could  try  his  experiment.  There 
he  killed  the  dog,  and  Joseph  escaped  and  reached  home  safely, 
his  father  rejoiced  and  his  brothers  were  comforted.  But  when 
the  famine  came  there  had  been  no  Joseph  to  store  the  corn 
against  the  day  of  evil.  Palestine  and  Egypt  were  starved. 
Great  numbers  died  and  the  rest  were  so  reduced  they  were 
destroyed  by  the  savage  Hittites.  Civilization  was  destroyed. 
Egypt  was  blotted  out.  Greece  and  Rome  remained  in  a  barbarous 
state.  The  whole  history  of  the  world  was  changed,  and  countless 
evils  resulted,  because  a  man  in  his  misguided  policy  killed  a  dog 
and  saved  Joseph  from  present  trouble  to  his  future  loss  and  to 
the  dire  distress  of  a  wretched  world. 

New  Testament  Illustrations. 

In  the  parable  of  the  Lost  (Luke  XV)  with  its  three  parts — 
The  Lost  Sheep,  The  Lost  Money,  and  The  Lost  Son — Jesus 
himself  furnishes  the  most  striking  illustration  of  the  harmony  of 
divine  sovereignty  and  human  free-agency.  In  the  first  two  parts 
of  the  Parable,  the  shepherd  goes  out  after  the  "lost  sheep"  and 
the  woman  searches  for  the  money,  representing  the  seeking  love 
of  God  in  taking  the  initiative  in  salvation — while  the  shepherd 
bringing  it  home  on  his  shoulder  and  the  woman  restoring  the 
money,  implied  the  absolute  necessity  and  sole  efficiency  of  divine 
grace  in  the  salvation  of  a  soul.  From  the  divine  standpoint,  the 
soul  is  brought  back  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  Great  Shepherd,  as 
if  it  were  wholly  the  result  of  irresistible  grace.  That,  however, 
is  only  one  side  of  the  picture.  It  takes  the  last  part  of  the  story 
to  represent  the  human  aspect  of  salvation.  The  prodigal  son 
comes  back  of  his  own  accord,  as  if  salvation  were  conditional 
solely  upon  human  free-agency  in  the  use  of  means.  In  one  sense, 
every  lost  soul  is  brought  back  in  the  everlasting  arms  of  mercy. 
In  another  sense,  each  soul  comes  back  by  its  own  voluntary  act  in 


response  to  the  seeking  love  of  God.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the 
sovereign,  enabling  grace  of  God,  typified  by  the  act  of  the 
Shepherd  seeking  and  bringing  back  the  lost,  there  could  never 
have  been  the  voluntary  coming  back  of  the  lost,  represented  by 
the  return  of  the  penitent  prodigal.  In  the  philosophy  of  the  plan 
of  salvation,  Calvinism  is,  therefore,  the  only  consistent  and 
sufficient  explanation  of  all  the  facts  involved  and  recounted  in  the 
revelation  of  divine  truth. 

Analogy. 

The  truth  may  be  illustrated  and  emphasized  by  the  analogy 
of  human  artifice  and  device.  In  the  construction  of  a  magnificent 
building,  the  architect  draws  the  plan  in  all  the  minute  details, 
which  the  contractor  executes  strictly  according  to  prescribed 
specifications.  In  the  weaving  of  some  exquisite  fabric  of  rare 
beauty  the  designer  must  first  furnish  the  perfect  pattern  before 
the  weaver  can  translate  it  into  the  finished  product.  In  like 
manner  predestination  is  the  eternal  purpose  of  God  by  which 
Divine  Wisdom,  anticipating  all  the  contingencies  of  life,  arranged 
the  plan  of  the  universe  according  to  a  perfect  pattern.  Divine 
Providence  is  the  translation  of  the  pattern  into  the  fabric  of 
human  life,  controlling  all  the  movements  and  weaving  all  the 
threads  into  the  finished  product.  God  is  the  designer  and  we 
are  the  weavers.  He  furnishes  the  threads  of  warp  and  woof, 
while  we  move  the  shuttles  in  daily  duties  and  in  loving  service  to 
complete  the  immortal  web  of  character  and  achievement. 
Tapestry  weavers  work  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  fabric,  never 
beholding  the  artistic  splendor  until  the  work  is  completed.  So 
we  play  our  part  largely  by  faith,  until  at  length  we  are  amazed 
and  thrilled  at  the  beauties  and  glory  of  our  poor  humble  lives 
as  they  fit  into  the  perfect  plan  of  God,  interpreted  in  the  light  of 
eternity. 

III. 

The  Presbyterian  Polity  is  Government  by  Elders. 

It  is  not  its  Calvinistic  theology  but  its  form  of  government  that 
gives  its  name  to  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  term  "Presby- 
terian" is  a  Greek  word — Presbuteros — which  is  universally  trans- 

10 


lated  "Elder"  in  the  New  Testament.  Only  once  in  the  English 
Bible  does  it  occur  in  the  original  form.  In  I  Tim.  4:14  Paul 
reminds  Timothy  that  he  was  ordained  "with  the  laying  on  of 
the  hands  of  the  Presbytery"  There  the  word  is  Presbuterion — 
differing  only  by  one  or  two  letters  from  Presbyterian,  and  it 
signifies  a  body  of  Elders  acting  in  an  official  character.  In  the 
Greek  of  the  New  Testament  as  written  by  the  Apostles,  "Pres- 
byterian" in  its  various  forms  occurs  about  70  times.  In  the  Old 
Testament  written  in  Hebrew,  the  equivalent  word  for  "Elder"  is 
"Zaken"  and  occurs  over  200  times ;  so  the  word  "Presb3rterian"  is 
found  in  the  original  Scriptures  nearly  300  times. 

It  would  be  indeed  a  revelation  to  most  people  if  the  Bible  were 
translated  literally.  The  fifteenth  chapter  of  Acts  would  read : 
"They  determined  that  Paul  and  Barnabas  .  .  .  should  go  up 
to  Jerusalem  unto  the  apostles  and  presbyters" ;  and  "the  apostles 
and  presbyters  came  together  to  consider  this  matter";  "and  as 
they  went  through  the  cities  they  delivered  them  the  decrees  for 
to  keep  that  were  ordained  of  the  apostles  and  presbyters."  Other 
passages  of  Scripture  are  equally  striking:  "Ordained  presbyters 
in  every  church" ;  "and  from  Miletus  he  sent  to  Ephesus  and  called 
the  presbyters  of  the  Church" ;  "for  this  cause  left  I  thee  in  Crete 
that  thou  shouldest  set  in  order  the  things  that  are  wanting  and 
ordain  presbyters  in  every  city."  Through  the  open  door  of 
Revelation  John  looked  into  heaven  and  said:  "Round  about  the 
throne  were  four  and  twenty  seats  and  upon  the  seats  four  and 
twenty  presbyters.  ...  In  the  midst  of  the  presbyters  stood 
a  lamb  as  it  had  been  slain  .  .  .  and  the  four  and  twenty 
presbyters  fell  down  and  worshipped  Him  that  liveth  forever  and 
ever."  Presbyterian  is,  therefore,  a  Greek  word  which  signifies 
a  church  governed  by  elders, — or  presbyters  as  it  is  in  the  original. 

Forms  o£  Church  Government. 

In  the  United  States  the  official  government  statistics  show  that 
there  exists  201  separate  and  distinct  denominations,  but  there  are 
only  three  primary  forms  of  Church  Government.  Every  denomi- 
nation on  earth  is  a  modification  or  a  variation  of  one  of  these 
forms : 

11 


Episcopal. 

The  first  is  known  as  the  Episcopal,  and  in  its  more  extreme 
form  called  Prelatic  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  It  means 
government  by  "bishops"  and  corresponds  in  the  political  world 
to  monarchy.  It  is  the  rule  of  the  one  man  power, — the  superior 
having  subordinates  under  his  direction  and  control.  James  I. 
King  of  England,  although  reared  a  Presbyterian,  soon  perceived 
that  Presbyterianism  would  not  tolerate  tyranny  in  monarchs  and 
said :  "Presbytery  agreeth  with  monarchy  as  well  as  God  and  the 
devil."  His  misguided  son,  Charles  I.  attempted  to  suppress  Pres- 
byterianism in  the  interest  of  Episcopacy  and  adopted  the  motto : 
"No  bishop,  no  king.'*  This  meant  that  if  the  church  were  allowed 
too  much  liberty  in  self-government,  the  people  would  soon  demand 
greater  liberty  in  the  state. 

Congregational. 

The  second  is  known  as  the  Congregational  form  from  the  fact 
that  each  church  is  governed  by  the  popular  vote  of  the  congre- 
gation. It  is  sometimes  called  Independency,  because  each  church 
is  a  law  unto  itself  and  not  bound  by  any  rules  enacted  by  its  own 
denomination.  The  most  ignorant  or  the  youngest  church  member, 
has  equal  vote  in  determining  vital  doctrines  or  far-reaching  poli- 
cies, as  the  most  experienced.  Two  churches  of  the  same  denomi- 
nation in  the  same  city  may  vote  precisely  the  opposite  to  each 
other  in  matters  of  faith  and  practice.  This  form  is  exactly  the 
opposite  of  the  Episcopal — with  its  one-man  power  of  the  bishop. 

Presbyterian. 

Between  these  two  extremes  is  the  Presbyterian  form.  It  is 
government  by  representatives,  elected  by  the  people,  known  as 
"elders"  in  the  English  version,  or  presbyters  according  to  the 
Greek,  as  written  by  the  Apostles.  In  the  political  world,  it  is 
known  as  the  Republican  form  of  governm.ent.  Calvinism  and 
Republicanism  go  ever  hand  in  hand.  John  Calvin  reconstructed 
the  Presbyterian  form — which  had  lapsed  and  been  practically 
suppressed  by  the  hierarchy  of  Rome — and  modeled  it  strictly  after 
the  scriptural  type  and  Apostolic  practices.     The   Republic  of 

12 


Geneva  was  his  twin  creation — church  and  state  having  practically 
the  same  polity.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  Ranke,  one  of  the  greatest 
of  historians,  said :  "J<^^^  Calvin  was  the  virtual  founder  of 
America" — because  it  is  a  Republic  embodying  Calvin's  principles. 

D'Aubigne,  who  wrote  the  history  of  the  Reformation,  declares : 
"Calvin  was  the  founder  of  the  greatest  of  republics.  The  Pil- 
grims, who  left  their  country  in  the  reign  of  James  I., — ^and,  land- 
ing on  the  barren  soil  of  New  England,  founded  populous  and 
mighty  colonies, — were  his  sons,  his  direct  and  legitimate  sons; 
and  that  American  nation  which  we  have  seen  growing  so  rapidly 
boasts  as  its  father  the  humble  Reformer  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Leman." 

The  Government  of  the  United  States  is  modeled  after  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  Hon.  W.  C.  Preston, 
one  of  the  greatest  orators  of  South  Carolina,  saw  the  resemblance, 
saying :  "Certainly  it  was  the  most  i-emarkable  and  singular  coin- 
cidence that  the  Constitution  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  should 
bear  such  a  close  and  striking  resemblance  to  the  political  Consti- 
tution of  our  country." 

As  the  founders  of  the  American  Republic  and  the  authors  of 
its  Constitution  were  largely  Presbyterian,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
their  church  should  have  formed  a  model  for  their  political  crea- 
tion. Chief  Justice  Tilghman  furnishes  this  explanation:  "The 
framers  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  borrowed  very 
much  of  the  form  of  our  Republic  from  the  Constitution  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland." 

This  form  of  government, — Republican  in  state  and  Presby- 
terian in  church — may  be  traced  in  the  Scriptures  from  Genesis  to 
Revelation  with  the  help  of  any  concordance  by  examining  each 
text  of  Scripture  where  occurs  the  word  "elder"  in  the  English — 
or  presbyter  in  the  Greek.  The  following  is  a  brief  exposition  of 
these  principles  based  solely  on  the  Scriptures : 

THE  ELEMENTS  OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  FORM  OF 

GOVERNMENT. 

1.    The  Election  by  the  people  of  their  representatives. 
When  it  became  necessary  to  select  one  as  a  witness  of  the 

13 


resurrection  of  Christ,  (see  Acts  1 :13-26),  either  there  were  only 
two  men,  "Justus  and  Matthias"  who  possessed  the  necessary 
qualifications;  or  else  they  were  considered  the  best  qualified 
among  their  number,  and  were  nominated  for  election.  It  mat- 
ters not  whether  the  "lots"  cast  were  "ballots,"  or  an  appeal  to 
God  by  casting  lots  to  choose  between  the  two  names.  In  either 
case  it  exhibited  the  church  exercising  its  right  of  choice.  The 
sixth  chapter  of  Acts  is  more  explicit  in  its  account  of  the  church 
in  its  first  election  of  the  deacons ;  while  Acts  14 :23,  in  selecting 
their  Elders  makes  the  striking  statement  in  the  Greek  that  they 
were  "elected  by  a  show  of  hands."  These  citations  are  sufficient 
to  prove  the  right  of  the  people  to  elect  their  own  representatives 
contrary  to  the  one  man  power  of  "appointing" — ^with  its  tendency 
in  all  ages  to  develop  into  "lords  over  God's  heritage." 

2.  The  Identity  of  Elders  and  Bishops  as  different  names 
for  the  same  office. 

They  are  almost  universally  denominated  "elders,"  but  six  times 
are  designated  "bishops."  In  every  instance  the  context  makes  it 
perfectly  plain  that  they  are  identical.  In  Phil  1:1,  the  Epistle  is 
addressed  to  the  "bishops  and  deacons."  As  elders  are  not  men- 
tioned, and  as  they  are  spoken  of  in  the  plural  number,  it  is  evident 
these  "bishops"  are  local  officers  co-ordinate  with  deacons,  and  the 
same  as  those  in  other  churches  who  are  spoken  of  as  elders.  This 
amounts  to  an  unanswerable  demonstration  in  Acts,  20:17,  where 
it  is  said  Paul  called  for  the  "elders  of  the  church"  of  Ephesus, 
and  in  verse  28  calls  them  bishops  (See  Revised  Testament).  Just 
one  more  illustration  should  surely  suffice.  Addressing  Titus  in 
Chapter  1 :4,  Paul  speaks  of  them  as  "elders,"  and  in  verse  7  as 
"bishops."  Throughout  the  entire  Scriptures,  bishop  is  invariably 
used  as  the  name  of  a  local  officer.  Jewish  Christians  called  them 
elders — as  they  were  so  designated  in  their  synagogues, — while  the 
Gentile  Christians  spoke  of  them  as  bishops,  the  name  of  certain 
local  town  officers. 

Even  the  great  scholars  of  the  Episcopal  Church — which  has  its 
diocesan  Bishops— admit  that  these  scriptural  "bishops"  were 
entirely  different  from  the  diocesan  Bishops  of  their  church.    The 

14 


kte  Rev.  Arthur  Penrhyn  Stanley,  D.  D.,  Dean  of  Westminster 
Abbey,  intimate  friend  of  Queen  Victoria,  in  a  public  address, 
uttered  the  following  remarkable  words:  "The  most  learned  of 
all  of  the  bishops  of  England,  whose  accession  to  the  great  See  of 
Durham  has  recently  been  welcomed  with  rare  unanimity  by  the 
whole  Church  of  England,  has,  with  his  characteristic  moderation 
and  erudition,  proved  beyond  dispute  in  his  celebrated  essay,  at- 
tached to  his  edition  of  St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Philippians,  that 
the  early  constitution  of  the  apostolic  churches  of  the  first  century 
was  not  that  of  a  single  bishop,  but  of  a  body  of  pastors,  indiflfer- 
ently  styled  bishops  or  presbyters,  and  that  it  was  not  until  the 
very  end  of  the  apostolic  age  that  the  office  we  now  call  Episcopacy 
gradually  and  slowly  made  its  way  into  Asia  Minor ;  that  Presby- 
tery was  not  a  later  growth  out  of  Episcopacy,  but  that  Episco- 
pacy was  a  later  growth  out  of  Presbytery;  that  the  office  which 
the  apostles  instituted  was  a  kind  of  rule,  not  by  bishops,  but  of 
presbyters ;  and  that  even  down  to  the  third  century  presbyters  as 
well  as  bishops  possessed  the  power  of  nominating  and  consecrat- 
ing bishops;  and  besides,  there  were,  from  the  commencement  of 
the  middle  ages  down  to  the  Reformation,  large  exceptions  from 
the  principle  of  Episcopal  government  which  can  be  called  by  no 
other  name  than  Presbyterian.'' 

Canon  Venables  in  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica  and  Edwin 
Hatch,  Bampton  Lecturer,  make  the  same  admission.  Edward 
Gibbon  in  the  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire, — not  himself  a 
Christian, — states  that  Elder  and  Bishop  were  identical  during 
the  first  centuries  of  the  Christian  Era.  Speaking  of  the  govern- 
ment and  administration  of  the  Church  prior  to  the  Council  of 
Nice,  he  says,  "The  public  functions  of  religion  were  solely  en- 
trusted to  the  established  ministers  of  the  Church,  bishops  and  the 
presbyters, — two  appellations,  which,  in  their  first  origin,  appear 
to  distinguish  the  same  office  and  the  same  order  of  persons.  The 
name  of  presbyter  was  expressive  of  their  age,  or  rather  of  their 
gravity  and  wisdom.  The  title  of  bishop  denoted  their  inspection 
over  the  faith  and  manners  of  the  Christians  who  were  committed 
to  their  pastoral  care." 

15 


3.  A  Plurality  of  Elders  in  every  Local  Church. 

Without  exception  every  scriptural  allusion  to  the  officers  of  a 
church  shows  this  plurality.  "Ordained  elders  (plural)  in  every 
Church,"  (Acts  14:23).  "From  Miletus  he  sent  to  Ephesus  and 
called  for  the  elders  (plural)  of  the  Church,"  (Acts  20:17)  ;  "eld- 
ers (plural)  in  every  city,"  (Titus  1 :4).  If  the  Scriptures  are  our 
guide  as  to  the  constitution  of  the  Church,  it  must  be  universally 
admitted  that  in  the  Apostolic  age  there  was  a  plurality  of  elders 
in  every  Church.  Charles  Spurgeon,  the  greatest  preacher  of 
modern  times  was  so  deeply  impressed  with  this  fact  that  he  in- 
sisted on  having  a  body  of  elders  in  the  great  Baptist  Church,  of 
which  he  was  pastor, — making  himself  and  hi?,  church  Presby- 
terian in  form  of  government. 

4.  In  the  New  Testament  ordination  is  always  by  a  church 

court,  and  not  by  any  bishop  or  one  man  power. 

Individuals  practised  "laying  on  of  hands"  in  case  of  sickness  for 
miraculous  healing  or  for  the  impartation  of  spiritual  gifts ;  but  in 
the  setting  apart  of  officers  for  service,  their  ordination  was  always 
by  church  courts.  See  Acts  6th  chapter  where  the  deacons  were 
so  ordained;  Acts  13:1-3  where  missionaries  were  thus  set  apart, 
and  specifically  I  Tim.  4:14  where  the  statement  is  unmistakable 
that  Timothy  was  ordained,  to  the  ministry  "with  the  laying  on  of 
the  hands  of  the  Presbytery." 

5.  A  Gradation  of  church  courts  with  the  right  of  appeal 

from  the  lower  to  the  higher. 

For  confirmation  of  this  principle  the  15th  Chapter  of  Acts 
should  be  most  carefully  examined.  Briefly  stated,  the  inspired 
narrative  furnishes  the  following  summary  of  the  facts : 

(1)  In  the  church  at  Antioch  a  question  of  rites  and  cere- 
monies arose  as  to  the  necessity  of  circumcision.  (2)  This  con- 
troversy between  Paul  and  Barnabas  on  the  one  side  and  the  false 
teachers  on  the  other,  could  not  be  settled  by  the  local  church  at 
Antioch.  (3)  The  question  was  referred  to  an  ecclesiastical  as- 
sembly composed  of  apostles  and  elders  at  Jerusalem.  (4)  After 
much  deliberation  a  decision  was  reached  and  a  deliverance  promul- 

16 


gated  by  this  higher  church  court  of  apostles  and  elders.  (5)  The 
decision  was  rendered  not  to  affect  simply  Antioch  where  it  origi- 
nated, but  the  whole  church ;  for  the  records  state :  "and  as  they 
went  through  the  cities,  they  delivered  them  the  decrees  for  to 
keep  that  were  ordained  of  the  apostles  and  elders  which  were  at 
Jerusalem."     (Acts  16:4). 

These,  therefore,  are  the  five  elements  which  entered  into  the 
constitution  of  the  apostolic  church :  ( 1 )  The  election  of  repre- 
sentatives by  the  people;  (2)  the  identity  of  bishops  and  elders  as 
different  names  for  the  same  officers;  (3)  a  plurality  of  such 
bishops  or  elders  in  each  local  church;  (4)  ordination  by  a  church 
court ;  and  (5)  a  graduation  of  such  courts  with  the  right  of  appeal 
from  the  lower  to  the  higher.  The  world  may  be  safely  challenged 
to  produce  any  denomination  of  Christians  today  where  all  these 
scriptural  principles  are  practiced  except  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  The  conclusion  is  unassailable  that  if  a  scriptural  model 
and  apostolic  practice  are  the  sole  determining  factors,  there  is  no 
Church  on  earth  which  has  higher  claim  than  the  Presbyterian  as 
the  Apostolic  Church. 

IV. 

The  Spiritual  Character  of  the  Church. 

The  principle  announced  by  Christ,  "Render  unto  Caesar  the 
things  which  are  Caesar's  and  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's," 
should  forever  settle  and  determine  the  fact,  that  there  are  two 
spheres  of  authority  with  distinct  and  separate  jurisdiction.  One  is 
human  government  under  kings  or  temporal  rulers  bearing  the 
sword  as  their  symbol  of  authority.  The  other  is  the  church,  a 
spiritual  kingdom  whose  divine  Head  is  the  Lord  Jesus,  whose 
rulers  are  subject  to  Him  and  whose  jurisdiction  is  spiritual,  "min- 
isterial and  declarative."  As  Christ  himself  repudiated  temporal 
jurisdiction,  stating,  "My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,"  so  the 
Presbyterian  church  embodies  in  its  constitution  the  prohibition: 
"Synods  and  Councils  are  to  handle  or  conclude  nothing  but  that 
which  is  ecclesiastical;  and  are  not  to  intermeddle  with  civil  af- 
fairs which  concern  the  commonwealth,  unless  by  way  of  humble 
petition  in  cases  extraordinary." 

17 


Presbyteries  and  General  Assemblies  have  not  always  conformed 
their  practice  to  these  principles,  and  sometimes  have  violated  their 
constitution  and  occasionally  invaded  the  province  of  the  state,  but 
such  violations  have  afterward  been  recognized  and  repudiated  and 
their  principles  reaffirmed.  The  mistakes  are  temporary.  The 
principles  are  eternal. 

These  four  general  principles  as  thus  expounded  and  hereinafter 
advocated  constitute  the  substance  of  the  Presbyterian  system: 

1.  The  Word  of  God,  as  the  only  Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice. 

2.  The  Calvinistic  Theology,  involving  Divine  Sovereignty  and 
Human  Free-Agency. 

3.  The  Scriptural  Form  of  Government  by  Elders. 

4.  The  Spiritual  Character  of  the  Church. 

With  this  brief  exposition  of  the  System,  the  effort  will  be  made 
in  the  remaining  chapters  to  justify  these  principles  by  an  appeal 
chiefly  to  the  Word  of  God,  to  History  and  to  the  results  of  the 
System  in  its  practical  working,  as  witnessed  by  the  general  con- 
sensus of  the  greatest  scholars  of  all  ages  and  all  Creeds. 


18 


CHAPTER  II 

^refl(bj>teriani£(m  in  ^iatoxp. 

Ernest  Renan,  brilliant  scholar  and  skeptic,  unconsciously 
awards  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  Apostolic  Succession  in  his  oft- 
quoted  sneer,  "Paul  begat  Augustine  and  Augustine  begat  John 
Calvin;"  to  which  other  scoffers  have  added,  "and  John  Calvin 
begat  the  Presbyterian  Church."  None  familiar  with  the  facts 
as  crystalized  in  the  verdict  of  History  will  dispute  the  essential 
correctness  of  Renan's  statement — however  they  may  repudiate*  the 
scoffer's  fling  at  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

In  his  Lectures  on  Calvinism,  the  late  Dr.  Kuyper,  eminent  the- 
ologian as  well  as  Prime  Minister  of  Holland,  rendered  substan- 
tially the  same  judgment,  but  traced  the  historic  succession  to  a  far 
more  remote  source,  affirming:  "The  development  of  life  is  or- 
ganic and,  therefore,,  each  new  period  roots  in  the  past.  In  its 
deepest  logic  Calvinism  had  already  been  apprehended  by  Augus- 
tine ;  had,  long  before  Augustine,  been  proclaimed  to  the  City  of  the 
Seven  Hills  by  the  Apostle  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans ;  and  from 
Paul  goes  back  to  Israel  and  its  prophets,  yea,  to  the  tents  of  the 
Patriarchs." 

Apostolic  Succession — Spurious. 

Advocates  of  "Apostolic  Succession"  appeal  to  history.  Pres- 
byterianism  with  far  more  force  lays  claim  to  apostolic  sanction, 
but  at  the  same  time  it  bases  its  claim  on  much  higher  ground — in 
a  historic  succession  which  runs  through  the  entire  Scriptures. 
The  figment  of  a  so-called  succession  of  men  ordained  by  bishops 
in  one  unbroken  line  reaching  back  to  the  Apostles  is  the  "baseless 
fabric  of  a  dream."  It  has  been  utterly  repudiated  by  the  ablest 
scholars  of  the  Communion,  which  sets  up  the  unfounded  claim. 
The  arch-bishop  of  Dublin,  one  of  the  great  scholars  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church  and  at  one  time  the  supreme  head  of  the  Church  of 
Ireland,  repudiated  it  in  no  uncertain  terms,  saying :     "There  is 

19 


not  a  minister  in  all  Christendom  who  is  able  to  trace  up  with  any 
approach  to  certainty  his  own  spiritual  pedigree."  Macaulay,  the 
greatest  of  English  historians  and  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
England,  nearly  a  century  ago,  hurled  this  challenge  into  the  ranks 
of  its  advocates  which  has  never  been  met:  "The  transmission 
of  orders  from  the  Apostles  to  an  English  clergyman  of  the  present 
day  must  have  been  through  a  very  great  number  of  intermediate 
persons.  Now  it  is  probable  that  no  clergyman  in  the  Church  of 
England  can  trace  up  his  spiritual  genealogy,  from  bishop  to  bishop, 
even  so  far  back  as  the  time  of  the  Reformation.  There  remain 
fifteen  or  sixteen  hundred  years,  during  which  the  history  of  the 
transmission  of  orders  is  buried  in  utter  darkness.  And  whether 
he  be  priest  by  succession  from  the  Apostles  depends  on  the  ques- 
tion whether  during  that  long  period  some  thousands  of  events 
took  place,  any  one  of  which  may,  without  any  gross  improbability, 
be  supposed  not  to  have  taken  place.  We  have  not  a  tittle  of  evi- 
dence to  any  one  of  these  events.  .  .  .  If  no  evidence  were 
admitted  but  that  which  is  furnished  by  the  genuine  Christian  liter- 
ature of  the  first  two  centuries,  judgment  would  not  go  in  favor 
of  prelacy.'* 

Apostolic  Succession — Genuine. 

False  assumptions  of  bigotry  should  not,  however,  prevent  the 
plea  that  in  all  the  ages  there  has  been  a  genuine  succession  of 
spiritual  men,  custodians  of  the  truth,  who  have  transmitted  the 
faith  from  generation  to  generation  in  fulfilment  of  the  promise, 
"Upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall 
not  prevail  against  it."  This  guarantees  the  perpetuity  of  the 
Church — not  of  some  sect  asserting  exclusive  claims  to  the  title, 
rights  and  prerogatives  which  are  the  inheritance  of  a  common 
Christianity. 

Denominational  Names. 

Not  a  denomination  existing  today  under  any  ecclesiastical 
name  can  show  unbroken  identity  to  apostolic  times.  "Things, 
however,  are  older  than  their  names."  The  precepts  and  practices 
of  each  existed  before  any  one  of  them  had  organic  life,  and  each 

20 


is  a  development  of  the  preceding.  Contrary  to  prevalent  opinion 
and  contrary  to  its  preposterous  claims,  the  Roman  Catholic,  in  its 
modern  form,  is  the  youngest  of  all.  Traced  historically,  the  de- 
velopment of  the  church  took  place  in  the  following  order : 

From  the  necessity  of  the  case,  Independency  existed  first. 
This  was  due  to  imperfect  organization  and  not  to  scriptural  pre- 
cept. Individual  churches  must  have  sprung  into  existence,  iso- 
lated and  separated,  with  no  possible  means  of  communication 
among  themselves,  and,  consequently  with  no  means  of  organic 
life.  That  this  condition  was  temporary  and  imperfect  is  very 
evident  from  the  scriptural  accounts  and  apostolic  acts,  which 
resulted  in  this  incomplete  organization,  but  took  definite  form  at 
length  in  "Presbytery"  (I  Tim.  4:14)  and  "General  Assembly" 
(Acts  15th  Chap.).  If  anything  can  be  established  by  scriptural 
precept  and  precedent,  it  can  be  demonstrated  that  the  normal  type 
of  organized  church  life  was  Presbyterian.  This  is  the  consensus 
of  opinion  shared  by  scholars  of  all  ages  and  various  denomina- 
tions, as,  for  example:  Canon  Venables,  Bishop  Lightfoot,  Dean 
Stanley  and  Edwin  Hatch  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  Jerome  of  the 
Roman  Catholic,  and  Spurgeon  of  the  Baptist. 

This  Presbyterian  form  existed  in  its  scriptural  simplicity  at 
least  till  the  second  century  and  in  some  sections  possibly  longer. 
Next  came  Episcopacy — long  after  apostolic  times — ^growing  grad- 
ually by  means  of  prominent  Presbyters  assuming  authority  over 
their  brethren  by  reason  of  recognized  ability  or  metropolitan  posi- 
tion. In  due  course  of  time  this  new  and  higher  order  of  ministers 
was  called  "Bishops"  and  gradually  became  well-nigh  the  universal 
and  established  order.  This  explains  the  origin  of  Episcopacy, 
and  even  its  ablest  friends  do  not  claim  it  was  the  scriptural  order 
—but  "historic." 

The  Climax. 

Error  ordinarily  knows  no  such  thing  as  arrested  development. 
Very  soon,  therefore,  among  these  unscriptural  officials  known  as 
"Bishops,"  the  most  ambitious  exalted  themselves  like  "Diotrephes, 
who  loved  to  have  the  pre-eminence."  Consequently,  there  sprang 
up  an  order  of  arch-bishops,  culminating  finally  in  one  head,  su- 

21 


preme  in  authority,  known  as  the  Pope  of  Rome.  The  papacy  was 
thus  the  latest  development  of  organized  church  life,  and  which  at 
length  sought  to  suppress  all  others  and  conform  the  whole  church 
to  its  unscriptural  prelatic  type.  By  fire  and  fagot,  by  rack  and 
thumb-screws,  by  sword  and  Inquisition,  by  Knights  of  Columbus 
and  political  schemes,  this  Apostate  Church  seeks  to  "lord  it  over 
God's  heritage'*  until  it  dominates  the  world  in  the  interest  of  its 
system. 

Historic  Presbyterianism. 

Having  given  this  exposition  of  the  rise  of  ecclesiastical  orders, 
the  purpose  of  this  chapter  is  to  trace  "Historic  Presbyterianism" 
through  the  ages,  showing  that  its  principles  have  repeated  them- 
selves in  the  life  and  work  of  various  tribes  and  nations ;  and  under 
its  symbol  of  "The  Burning  Bush"  it  has  lived  and  flourished  even 
in  the  midst  of  the  flames  kindled  by  its  enemies  for  its  utter  de- 
struction. Its  motto,  "Tamen  non  consumabatur" — signifying 
"Nevertheless  it  is  not  consumed" — is  prophetic  of  its  indestructi- 
ble and  immortal  life. 

I. 

Early  Days  of  Christianity. 

Not  only  was  Presbyterianism  the  scriptural  type,  but  for  the 
first  century,  at  least,  it  was  the  typical  form  of  the  organic  life 
of  the  whole  church.  Edward  Gibbon,  skeptic  and  historian,  hav- 
ing no  interest  in  supporting  the  claims  of  any  denomination,  as- 
serts in  "The  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire" — quoted  in 
our  first  chapter — that  Presbyterianism  was  the  type  of  the  first 
centuries.  In  confirmation  of  this  contention,  he  asserts  that  in 
North  Africa  alone  there  were  more  than  a  thousand  bishops. 
They  could  not  have  been  diocesan  bishops  in  the  prelatic  sense, 
for  one  small  section  of  North  Africa  would  then  have  contained 
more  bishops  than  there  are  dioceses  throughout  the  whole  world. 
It  is  perfectly  evident,  therefore,  that  they  were  only  scriptural 
bishops  in  the  Presbyterian  sense,  equivalent  to  elders. 

Jerome,  the  chief  authority  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
makes  the  same  admission:     "In  the  beginning  of  the  Church, 

22 


bishop  and  presbyter  were  the  same ;  afterwards  one  was  chosen  to 
preside  over  the  rest,  as  a  remedy  for  schism."  "Let  the  bishops 
know,**  he  adds,  "that  they  are  superior  to  presbyters  rather  by 
custom  than  by  an  actual  appointment  of  the  Lord."  During  the 
first  and  perhaps  the  second  centuries  there  existed  no  bishop  in 
the  Episcopal  sense  and  no  prelate  of  the  Roman  Catholic  type. 
No  claim  is  made  that  the  Presbyterian  Church  with  its  name  and 
all  of  its  well  articulated  system,  existed  continuously,  but  without 
fear  of  successful  contradiction — if  the  testimony  of  history  and  the 
weight  of  scholarship  count  for  anything — ^the  type  of  the  first 
ages  was  Presbyterian  in  its  simplicity,  and  nothing  else. 

Propagating  the  Faith. 

This  was  not  only  the  age  of  martyrdom  but  the  period  of  great- 
est missionary  activity.  Persecution  itself  has  been  used  of  God 
more  than  once  as  a  means  of  scattering  the  seed  of  divine  truth. 
As  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles,  "They  that  were  scattered  abroad 
went  everywhere  preaching  the  word;"  and  as  in  modern  times 
the  founding  of  America  was  due  to  the  persecutions  of  the  mis- 
guided Stuarts  of  England ;  so  in  all  probability  the  period  of  mar- 
tyrdom scattered  multitudes  of  these  Christian  missionaries  into  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  Fortunately  it  was  before  the  rise 
of  prelacy,  and  so  they  carried  the  simplicity  and  purity  of  the 
primitive  faith  among  the  Waldenses  in  the  mountains  of  Italy, 
among  the  Celts  of  the  British  Isles  and  doubtless  among  other 
tribes  and  mountain  fastnesses  unknown  in  the  annals  of  history. 

Historic  Illustrations. 

As  illustrations  of  this  fact  and  in  explanation  of  the  existence 
of  Presbyterian  principles — ^though  very  imperfect  in  form  and 
purity — among  far  distant  countries,  having  no  connection  what- 
ever with  each  other,  account  will  be  given — ^though  not  in  their 
historic  order — of  the  most  notable  of  these  historic  churches  and 
their  struggles. 

II. 

The  Waldenses. 

In  the  northwestern  part  of  Italy,  nestling  among  picturesque 
mountains,  situated  in  the  province  of  Piedmont,  are  some  of  the 

23 


loveliest  valleys  of  earth.  Among  these  far-famed  mountain  ram- 
parts there  exists  today  a  vigorous  Presbyterian  Church,  the  de- 
scendants of  the  martyred  Waldenses,  who  are  often  styled  "The 
Israel  of  the  Alps"  by  reason  of  their  resemblance  to  God's  chosen 
people  of  old,  maintaining  a  pure  faith  and  worship  reaching  back 
into  the  dim  twilight  of  history. 

It  would  be  claiming  too  much  to  assert  they  were  Presbyterian 
in  all  their  past  and  in  all  their  parts,  for  that  name  had  not  yet 
become  attached  to  any  body  of  believers  as  a  separate  denomina- 
tion. At  the  same  time,  their  practices  and  principles  more  closely 
allied  them  with  Presbyterianism  than  with  any  other  historic  faith. 
They  were  not  even  Protestant,  for  they  antedated  the  Reforma- 
tion and  have  always  insisted  that  they  were  "not  reformed  be- 
cause they  had  never  been  deformed/* 

The  origin  of  the  Waldenses  has  been,  and  will  doubtless  con- 
tinue to  be,  a  matter  of  dispute.  They  themselves  have  stoutly 
asserted  their  claims  as  dating  back  to  the  time  of  the  Apostles. 
The  road  from  Rome  into  Gaul  and  Spain  led  through  these  val- 
leys, and  it  is  believed  that  early  disciples  of  Christianity  planted 
the  pure  gospel  here  in  their  journeys  westward.  Others  maintain 
that  this  ancient  church  had  its  beginning  in  the  refugees  driven 
from  Rome  under  the  perscution  of  Nero.  This  is  the  contention 
of  Henri  Armaud,  one  of  their  most  noted  pastors,  who  himself 
led  the  "Glorious  Return"  of  the  remnant  that  marched  from 
Geneva  back  to  Piedmont  and  again  possessed  themselves  of  their 
native  valleys : 

"The  Waldenses  are,  in  fact,  descended  from  these  refugees 
from  Italy  who,  after  St.  Paul  had  there  preached  the  gospel, 
abandoned  their  beautiful  country  and  fled,  like  the  woman  men- 
tioned in  the  Apocalypse,  to  these  wild  mountains,  where  they 
have  to  this  day  handed  down  the  gospel  from  father  to  son,  in  the 
same  purity  and  simplicity  it  was  preached  by  St.  Paul."  In  a 
petition  presented  to  their  sovereign,  Philibert  Emmanuel,  Duke 
of  Savoy  and  Prince  of  Piedmont,  in  the  year  1559,  they  make 
this  statement :  "We  likewise  beseech  your  Royal  Highness  to  con- 
sider, that  this  religion  which  we  profess  is  not  only  falsely  re- 
ported, but  it  was  the  religion  of  our  fathers,  grandfathers  and 

24 


great-grandfathers,  and  other  yet  more  ancient  predecessors  of 
ours,  and  of  the  blessed  martyrs,  confessors,  prophets  and  apostles; 
and  if  they  can  prove  to  the  contrary,  we  are  ready  to  subscribe 
and  yield  thereunto." 

Their  motto,  "Lux  lucet  in  tenebris" — signifying  "The  light 
shineth  in  darkness" — is  symbolic  of  their  mission.  Through  more 
than  two  centuries  they  endured  every  conceivable  persecution  at 
the  hands  of  Rome,  which  sought  in  vain  to  extinguish  the  light. 
John  Milton,  author  of  "Paradise  Lost,"  secretary  to  Oliver 
Cromwell,  wrote  the  sonnet : 

"Avenge,  O  Lord !  thy  slaughtered  saints  whose  bones 

Lie  scattered  on  the  Alpine  mountains  cold ; 
Even  them  who  kept  Thy  truth  so  pure  of  old, 

When  all  our  fathers  worshipped  stocks  and  stones, 
Forget  not :  in  Thy  book  record  their  groans 

Who  were  Thy  sheep,  and  in  their  ancient  fold 
Slain  by  the  Bloody  Piedmontese  that  rolled 

Mother  with  infant  down  the  rocks.    Their  moans 
The  vales  redoubled  to  the  hills,  and  they 

To  heaven.    Their  martyred  blood  and  ashes  sow 
O'er  all  the  Italian  fields,  where  still  doth  sway 

The  triple  tyrant;  that  from  these  may  grow 
A  hundredfold,  who  having  learned  Thy  way 

Early  may  fly  the  Babylonian  woe." 

Oliver  Cromwell  heard  their  cry  and,  perhaps  influenced  by  John 
Milton,  raised  38,000  pounds  for  their  relief  and  threatened  "that 
his  ships  in  the  Mediterranean  should  visit  Civita  Veachia  and  that 
the  sound  of  his  cannon  should  be  heard  in  Rome."  This  had  the 
desired  effect  in  calling  off  the  minions  of  Rome  and  in  giving  them 
temporary  respite.  True  to  her  bloody  record,  Rome  again  re- 
turned to  her  persecuting  spirit  till  Napoleon  Bonaparte  gave  them 
relief;  and  after  repeated  harrying,  finally,  in  1848,  through  the 
intervention  of  England  and  the  edict  of  King  Charles  Albert,  they 
at  last  secured  religious  liberty  to  worship  God  according  to  the 
dictates  of  their  conscience  and  to  preach  the  faith  of  their 
fathers. 

25 


This  ancient  Church  whose  history  is  written  in  blood  still  lives. 
The  present  King  of  Italy  has  honored  them — much  to  the  mortifi- 
cation of  the  Papacy — in  choosing  one  of  their  number  as  gover- 
ness for  his  children.  Marconi,  the  inventor  of  wireless  telegraphy, 
is  an  honored  member  of  the  Waldensian  Church.  They  have 
colonies  in  the  bounds  of  our  own  Southern  Presbyterian  Church  at 
Valdese,  North  Carolina,  at  Monett,  Missouri,  at  Texarkana,  Ar- 
kansas, and  at  Gainesville,  Texas.  True  to  their  historic  princi- 
ples, they  are  a  constituent  part  of  the  Pan  Presbyterian  Council — 
"An  Alliance  of  Reformed  Churches  throughout  the  World 
holding  the  Presbyterian  System."  No  wonder  Dr.  R.  P.  Kerr 
states :  "Empires  have  risen  and  fallen ;  dynasties  have  come  and 
gone ;  the  whole  face  of  the  world  has  changed  again  and  again ; 
but  this  heroic  band  has  not  been  conquered,  nor  has  their  star 
ceased  to  shine  above  the  snowy  pinnacles  of  the  Alps." 

III. 

Celtic  Christianity. 

According  to  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica,  the  inhabitants  of 
Western  Europe  were  called  "Keltoi,"  by  the  Greeks,  from  which 
is  derived  the  name  "Celts"  for  a  remarkable  race  of  people.  The 
Romans  named  their  country  "Gaul"  which  coincided  largely  with 
the  present  boundaries  of  France,  and  which  Caesar  "divided  into 
three  parts,"  In  the  migrations  of  races,  historians  inform  us  that 
a  colony  of  Celts  from  Western  Europe  made  their  way  into  Asia 
Minor  and  settled  the  region  known  as  Galatia,  where  Christianity 
was  early  planted  and  to  whom  Paul  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the 
Galatians.  Long  before  the  invasion  of  Britain  by  the  Romans,  a 
branch  of  this  Celtic  race  took  complete  possession  of  the  British 
Isles.  The  subsequent  invasion  of  tlie  Romans  under  Julius  Cae- 
sar, of  the  Anglo-Saxons  under  Hengist  and  Horsa,  of  the  Danes 
and  under  Canute,  and  of  the  Normans  under  William  the  Con- 
queror, succeeded  in  dispossessing  the  Cells  in  England  only.  In 
their  mountain  fastnesses  in  Wales,  Scotland  and  Ireland  these 
fierce  Celtic  warriors,  known  in  history  as  Picts  and  Scots,  were 

26 


never  conquered.  Their  descendants  have  held  possession  of  the 
same  territory  for  over  two  thousand  years. 

Ancient  Origin. 

The  introduction  of  Christianity  among  these  Celts  of  Ireland 
and  Scotland  dates  back  to  such  a  remote  period  that  no  historian 
can  account  for  it.  Two  explanations  have  been  suggested.  One 
theory  claims  that  communications  between  the  Celts  of  Asia  Minor 

gave  their  kinsmen  in  the  British  Isles  the  gospel  in  its  primitive 
form;  the  other  suggestion  is  that  Greek  Missionaries  landed  at 
Cornwall,  England,  and  kindled  the  gospel  light  which  speedily 
flamed  throughout  the  British  Isles.  Only  in  this  way  is  it  possible 
to  account  for  the  Greek  names  "Alexander"  and  "Andrew"  every- 
where prevalent  in  Scotland  and  the  still  more  singular  fact  the 
Greek  Cross  of  St.  Andrew  is  the  National  Coat  of  Arms  of  Scot- 
land. 

Tertullian,  one  of  the  earliest  Church  Fathers,  who  was  almost 
contemporary  with  the  Apostle  John,  asserts  that  "those  parts  of 
Britain  that  were  inaccessible  to  the  Romans  fthe  highlands  of 
Scotland)  had  become  subject  to  Christ."  No  matter,  therefore, 
what  may  be  the  explanation,  Tertullian  asserts  the  fact  of  the  ex- 
istence of  Christianity  among  these  Picts  and  Scots.  Baronius,  the 
Romish  historian  of  the  Church,  asserts  on  the  authority  of  certain 
manuscripts  in  the  Vatican  that  Christianity  was  carried  to  Britain 
in  A.  D.  35,  which  would  even  antedate  its  introduction  into  Rome. 
Neander,  the  Church  Historian,  places  on  record  his  judgment 
"that  the  Britons  had  received  their  Christianity  either  immediately, 
or,  through  Gaul,  from  Asia  Minor,  a  thing  quite  possible  and  as 
easy,  by  means  of  commercial  intercourse."  Dean  Milman  argues 
to  the  same  conclusion  from  the  controversy  between  the  Scottish 
Missionaries  and  the  Romish  ecclesiastics  in  England,  saying :  "It 
is  curious  to  find  Greek  Christianity  thus  at  the  verge  of  the 
Roman  world,  maintaining  some  of  its  usages  and  co-equality." 
Two  Scotch  Historians,  Spotswood  and  Buchanan,  concur  in  the 
statement  that  "the  Scots  were  taught  Christianity  by  the  disciples 
of  the  Apostle  John." 

27 


Reversion  to  Paganism. 

At  the  time  Christianity  of  the  Greek  type  was  flourishing  among 
the  Celts  of  Scotland,  the  invasion  by  the  Anglo-Saxons  in  449 
A.  D.  wrested  England  from  the  Romans  and  brought  in  their 
pagan  Druid  customs,  which  soon  effaced  from  England  whatever 
of  Christianity  it  may  have  once  possessed.  This  accounts  for  the 
historic  incident  recorded  by  Milman  which  led  to  the  introduc- 
of  Romish  Christianity  into  England : 

"When  Gregory  the  Great  was  a  simple  monk  of  St.  Andrew, 
he  saw  some  beautiful,  fair-haired  boys  exposed  for  sale  in  the 
market  place  of  Rome.  He  inquired  from  whence  they  came. 
'From  Britain.'  *Are  they  Christians?'  'They  are  still  pagans.' 
'Alas !  that  the  Prince  of  Darkness  should  possess  forms  of  such 
loveliness !  That  such  beauty  of  countenance  should  want  the  bet- 
ter beauty  of  the  soul !'  He  then  asked  of  what  nation  they  were. 
'Angles,'  was  the  reply.  'Truly,'  he  said,  'they  are  angels !  From 
what  province?'  'That  of  Deira.'  'Truly,  they  must  be  rescued 
"de  ira"  (from  the  wrath  of  God).'  'What  is  the  name  of  their 
King?'  'Aella.'  'Yea,'  said  Gregory,  'Allelulia  must  be  sung  in 
the  dominions  of  that  King.'  " 

After  Gregory  became  Pope  he  sent  Augustine  the  Monk  (not 
the  theologian)  to  EnglaniJ  as  a  Missionary,  which  was  the  means 
of  introducing  Latin  Christianity  into  England ;  but  the  Greek 
type  already  held  possession  of  Scotland.  One  hundred  years 
previous  to  the  coming  of  Augustine,  St.  Patrick  of  Scotland  had 
carried  the  Gospel  to  Ireland ;  and  St.  Columba  of  Ireland  had  but 
recently  established  his  missionary  institution  at  lona  on  the  coast 
of  Scotland. 

It  is  a  curious  coincidence  that  Scotland  and  Ireland  not  only 
exchanged  names,  but  each  gave  to  the  other  its  patron  Saint. 
Ireland,  the  home  of  the  Scots,  was  called  Scotia,  which  later  be- 
came the  name  of  Scotland ;  and  Ireland  became  Hibernia,  the 
name  by  which  Scotland  was  originally  called.  St.  Patrick,  born 
on  the  Clyde  in  Scotland,  went  as  a  missionary  to  Ireland,  and 
nearly  one  hundred  years  later  St.  Columba,  born  in  Ireland,  estab- 
lished his  famous  Monastery  on  lona,  adjacent  to  Scotland, — ^the 

28 


latter  event  being  of  much  historic  importance  and  of  such  far- 
reaching  influence  as  to  call  for  extended  mention. 

lona. 

On  the  northwestern  rugged  coast  of  Scotland  the  bleak  little 
Isle  of  lona  lifts  its  craggy  peaks — in  area  only  three  miles  long 
and  scarcely  two  in  width  and  with  scarcely  any  arable  land.  Dr. 
Samuel  Johnson,  notwithstanding  his  contempt  for  everything 
Scotch,  was  constrained  to  say  of  this  bleak  isle : 

"That  man  is  little  to  be  envied,  whose  patriotism  would  not 
gain  force  on  the  plains  of  Marathon,  or  whose  piety  would  not 
grow  warmer  among  the  ruins  of  lona." 

Such  historic  interest  attached  to  it  that  it  became  the  West- 
minster Abbey  of  Scotland,  where  illustrious  Kings  and  famed 
warriors  sleep  side  by  side.  Kenneth,  the  first  King  of  Scotland, 
King  Duncan  and  Macbeth  who  murdered  him — ^immortalized  by 
Shakespeare — as  well  as  noblemen  of  other  countries  as  far  oflF  as 
Norway  and  France,  were  brought  hither  to  rest  in  its  holy  soil. 
On  the  last  day  of  his  life  St.  Columba,  from  the  hill  overlooking 
the  Monastery,  uttered  this  prophecy:  "Unto  this  place,  albeit 
so  small  and  poor,  great  homage  shall  yet  be  paid,  not  only  by  the 
Kings  and  the  people  of  the  Scots,  but  by  the  rulers  of  barbarous 
and  distant  nations,  with  their  people  also.  In  great  veneration, 
too,  shall  it  be  held  by  the  holy  men  of  other  churches." 

Leaving  Ireland  in  bitter  disappointment,  through  some  misfor- 
tune unrecorded,  he  acquired  title  to  this  seemingly  valueless 
storm-swept  Isle  and  founded  a  great  "School  of  the  Prophets" 
for  training  and  sending  missionaries  throughout  Scotland  and  even 
into  England.  King  Oswald  of  Northumbria  had  found  shelter 
in  lona, — where  he  was  partially  educated — and  was  so  impressed 
with  its  religious  life  that  he  invited  its  missionaries  to  come  and 
Christianize  his  subjects.  This  precipitated  the  unavoidable  con- 
flict with  the  Romish  Monks  of  England,  and  King  Oswald  was 
finally  persuaded  to  commit  the  religious  instruction  to  them  and 
dismiss  those  of  Scotland.  Milman  in  his  "Latin  Christianity," 
speaking  of  this  collision,  said :  "One-half  of  the  island  had  been 
converted  by  the  monks  from  Scotland,  the  other  by  those  from 

29 


Rome.    They  were  opposed  on  certain  points  of  discipline, — held 
hardly  of  less  importance  than  vital  truths  of  the  Gospel." 

The  Culdee  Church. 

Hitherto  all  reference  to  the  Culdee  Church  has  been  avoided. 
The  controversy  waged  between  ecclesiastics — whether  the  Monks 
of  St.  Columba  were  Culdees,  and  whether  these  Culdees  were  as 
pure  as  claimed  and  whether  they  were  substantially  Presbyterians, 
— is  not  of  material  consequence.  The  essential  facts,  established 
by  church  historians,  indicate  that  the  type  of  Christianity  known 
to  St.  Patrick,  to  St.  Columba  and  to  the  Culdees  of  Scotland,  so 
far  from  being  Roman  Catholic,  was  radically  different  from  the 
modern  Romish  System.  If  the  references  as  cited  indicate  that 
primitive  Christianity  was  established  among  these  Celts  at  a  very 
early  period,  in  all  probability  it  underwent  a  gradual  change, 
gravitating  toward  Prelacy,  as  in  the  case  of  Latin  Christianity  on 
the  Continent.  To  say  the  least,  however,  it  constitutes  a  connect- 
ing link  in  the  Historic  Church  of  Scotland,  showing  a  line  of 
succession  probably  independent  of  Rome,  which  may  account  for 
the  fact  that  the  Reformation  there  found  more  congenial  soil  than 
in  other  parts  of  Britain. 

Distinguishing  Marks. 

Contrary  to  Romish  practice,  their  ministry  was  permitted  to 
marry.  The  Bishops  had  no  diocese  and  no  jurisdiction  over  the 
ministry.  Archbishop  Usher  states:  **We  read  in  Nennius  that 
at  the  beginning  St.  Patrick  founded  (in  Ireland)  three  hundred 
and  sixty-five  churches,  and  ordained  three  hundred  and  sixty-five 
bishops  and  three  thousand  presbyters  or  elders."  As  there  were 
three  hundred  and  sixty-five  bishops  and  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  churches,  it  is  clear  that  these  bishops  were  just  what  Presby- 
terian bishops  are  now — pastors,  and  nothing  more.  This  was 
in  Ireland,  but  St.  Patrick,  doubtless,  established  the  same  forms 
and  ordinances  in  which  he  had  been  trained  in  his  native  country, 
Scotland.  Bishop  Stillingfleet  says :  "If  we  may  believe  their 
own  historians,  the  Church  of  Scotland  was  governed  by  their 
own  Culdei,  as  they  called  their  Presbyters,  without  any  (prelati- 

30 


cal)  bishop  over  them."  A  Romish  bishop,  named  Palladius,  was 
sent  up  to  Scotland  in  the  fifth  century,  but  the  people  refused  to 
recognize  his  authority  and  rejected  him.  Bede,  though  indignant 
at  their  repudiation  of  the  authority  of  the  Romish  bishop,  testi- 
fies that  "they  preached  only  such  works  of  charity  and  piety  as 
they  could  learn  from  the  prophetical,  evangelical  and  apostolical 
writings."  D'Aubigne  says:  "lona,  governed  by  a  simple  elder, 
had  become  a  missionary  college.  It  has  been  called  sometimes  a 
monastery,  but  the  dwelling  of  the  grandson  of  Fergus  (Columba) 
in  nowise  resembled  the  Popish  convents.  When  its  youthful  in- 
mates desired  to  spread  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  they 
thought  not  of  going  elsewhere  for  Episcopal  ordination.  Kneel- 
ing in  the  chapel  of  Icolmkill  (in  lona)  they  were  set  apart  by 
the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  elders ;  they  were  called  bishops, 
but  remained  obedient  to  the  elder  or  presbyter  of  lona." 

Ebrard  declares  that  it  was  "evangelical,"  not  only  because  it 
was  free  and  independent  of  Rome  and,  when  the  papal  church 
came  into  contact  with  it,  always  and  obstinately  repudiated  its 
authority  under  an  appeal  to  the  single  and  supreme  authority  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  but  above  all,  because  in  its  inner  life  it  was 
penetrated  throughout  by  the  main  principles  of  the  evangelical 
church.  However,  modern  scholarship  leans  to  the  opinion  that 
these  Culdees  have  been  given  too  much  credit  for  simplicity  and 
purity,  and  that  they  evidently  conformed  more  or  less  to  the 
times  of  superstition  and  ignorance  in  which  they  lived. 

Scotland  vs.  England. 

The  types  of  Christianity  which  have  prevailed  in  the  two  coun- 
tries can  be  easily  explained.  The  Scottish  Church  was  much 
older  than  the  English.  The  Scottish  was  the  Greek  type,  while 
the  English  was  Latin.  The  Scotch  were  Celtic,  the  English  an 
admixture  but  chiefly  Anglo-Saxon.  The  Scottish  resisted  the 
Romish  Church  many  centuries ;  the  English  were  papal  from  the 
beginning.  The  Reformation  in  Scotland  was  forced  on  the  throne 
by  the  people.  The  Reformation  in  England  was  imposed  on  the 
people  by  the  throne,  and  changed  with  the  change  of  monarchs. 
It  was  Pagan  under  the  Romans,  Christian  under  the  Britons, 

31 


Druid  under  the  Saxons,  Papal  under  the  Normans,  Protestant 
under  Henry,  Popish  under  Mary,  Protestant  under  Ehzabeth, 
Independent  under  Cromwell,,  Prelatic  under  Charles  IL,  Episco- 
pal since  the  Revolution  of  1688. 

The  Reformation  in  Scotland  was  thorough  and  complete;  the 
Reformation  in  England  was  an  illustration  of  arrested  develop- 
ment. The  ancient  Church  of  Scotland  was  somewhat  of  the  type 
of  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era;  the  Church  of  England 
belonged  to  the  type  of  the  third  century,  after  Presbyterianism 
had  been  corrupted  into  Prelacy. 

"Like  Precious  Faith  with  Us." 

The  conflict  of  Presbyterian  principles  with  Romanism  went 
on  through  the  ages  and  raged  in  many  countries.  The  lack  of 
space  alone  prevents  chapters — similar  to  those  recounting  Wal- 
densian  struggles  in  Italy  and  the  conflict  in  Scotland — ^which  could 
be  written  of  the  heroic  struggles  of  the  Huguenots  in  France,  of 
the  Dutch  in  Holland  with  the  infamous  Duke  of  Alva,  and  in 
Bohemia  of  the  followers  of  Huss  with  the  same  unrelenting  foes. 
If  any  are  inclined  to  dispute  the  fact  that  it  was  Presbyterianism 
which  chiefly  "contended  for  the  faith  which  was  once  delivered 
unto  the  Saints,"  then  it  devolves  upon  him  to  explain  why  in  every 
instance  after  the  battle  triumphantly  ended,  these  heroic  and  his- 
toric churches  arranged  themselves  under  the  banner  of  Presby- 
trianism  and  are  without  exception  constituent  parts  of  the  Pan- 
Presbyterian  Alliance  today.  Professor  Heron  of  Belfast  states 
substantially  in  another  form  the  same  truth :  "It  is  a  simple  his- 
torical fact,  of  deep  significance,  that  wherever  the  Reformation 
had  free  course  and  wherever  it  was  permitted  to  shape  itself 
spontaneously  after  Scripture,  and  without  external  interference, 
it  assumed  a  Presbyterian  form." 

IV. 
Presbytery  vs.  Episcopacy. 

The  successful  issue  of  Presbyterianism  in  its  conflicts  with 
Romanism  did  not  end  its  struggle  entirely.  After  the  Reforma- 
tion the  battle  was  transferred  to  a  new  arena  and  was  continued 

32 


in  the  conflict  between  Presbytery  and  Episcopacy.  At  the  dawn 
of  the  Reformation  Henry  VIII  of  England  made  such  vigorous 
onslaught  on  Martin  Luther,  that  the  Pope  conferred  on  him  the 
title,  "Defender  of  the  Faith ;"  but  when  the  Pope  refused  to  ap- 
prove of  his  divorce,  he  broke  away  from  Rome,  not  upon  religious 
grounds  but  in  the  interest  of  his  wicked  ends.  He  transformed 
the  Church,  but  he  did  not  reform  it.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  was 
chiefly  a  change  of  masters  with  himself  the  head  of  the  Church 
as  its  Supreme  Pontif.  The  real  Reformation  began  under  his 
son,  Edward  VI,  but  was  cut  short  by  his  untimely  death.  Bloody 
Mary  made  havoc  of  Protestantism  in  her  efforts  to  restore  Eng- 
land to  the  fold  of  Rome.  Elizabeth,  like  her  imperious  father, 
imposed  her  royal  will  on  the  Church,  which  arrested  the  free  de- 
velopment of  Protestantism  and  resulted  in  what  Macaulay  denom- 
inated a  compromise  between  Catholicism  and  Protestantism. 

The  coming  of  James  I  to  the  throne, — reared  a  Scotch  Presby- 
terian,— was  doubtless  hailed  as  the  working  of  divine  Providence. 
He  himself  had  signed  "the  National  Covenant"  of  Scotland  and 
was  regarded  as  a  "Covenanter,"  but  he  soon  became  alarmed  at  the 
republicanism  inherent  in  Presbyterianism  and  began  a  series  of 
acts  calculated  to  suppress  it  and  to  establish  Episcopacy  in  its 
stead,  giving  utterance  to  the  famous  saying,  "Presbytery  agreeth 
as  well  with  Monarchy  as  God  with  the  devil."  Charles  I,  his  ill- 
advised  son,  under  the  sway  of  the  bigoted  Laud,  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  undertook  the  unfinished  work  of  his  father  and  insti- 
tuted more  aggressive  measures  for  forcing  Episcopacy  on  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland. 

The  Dean  of  Edinburgh,  acting  under  orders  from  King  Charles, 
attempted  to  introduce  the  liturgy  in  St.  Giles  in  the  presence  of 
the  privy  council  and  magistrates  and  a  large  assembly  of  the  peo- 
ple on  Sunday,  July  23,  1637.  But  it  was  unsuccessful.  Accord- 
ing to  the  old  story,  Jenny  Geddes,  an  herb-woman,  hearing  the 
Archbishop  call  on  the  Dean  to  read  the  "collect  for  the  day,"  mis- 
understood the  word  but  not  the  act,  and  cried  out,  "The  deil  gi'e 
ye  the  colic !  Villaine,  dost  thou  say  mass  at  my  lug  (ear)  ?"  With 
that  she  hurled  the  stool  whereon  she  had  been  sitting  at  the  head 
of  the  Dean.    This  was  the  signal  for  an  uprising  of  the  congrega- 

33 


tion,  and  the  people  shouted  through  the  streets  :  "A  pope,  a  pope ! 
Anti-Christ!  The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon!"  This  out- 
burst of  popular  indignation  was  not  confined  to  Edinburgh,  but 
there  was  such  violent  opposition  manifested  throughout  the  king- 
dom that  the  project  was  abandoned  by  the  clergy.  Not  so  with 
Charles,  who  raised  an  army  to  force  Episcopacy  upon  Scotland, 
and  began  a  foolish  conflict  which  ended  in  his  own  destruction  and 
the  establishment  of  a  new  government  in  England,  with  Cromwell 
at  its  head.  Stanley  says:  "The  stool"  (now  in  the  Museum  of 
Edinburgh)  "which  was  on  that  occasion  flung  at  the  head  of  the 
Dean  of  Edinburgh,  extinguished  the  English  Liturgy  entirely  in 
Scotland,  for  the  seventeenth  century,  for  a  great  extent  even  to 
the  nineteenth,  and  gave  to  the  civil  war  in  England  an  impulse 
which  only  ended  in  the  overthrow  of  the  church  and  the  mon- 
archy." 

To  meet  this  new  danger  to  the  liberties  of  the  Church,  Alexan- 
der Henderson,  next  to  John  Knox,  Scotland's  greatest  Reformer, 
modified  the  National  Covenant  to  suit  the  exigencies  of  the  crisis. 
It  pledged  the  subscribers  "to  adhere  to  and  defend  the  true  re- 
ligion, and  forbear  the  practice  of  all  innovations  already  intro- 
duced into  the  worship  of  God,  and  to  labor  by  all  means  lawful  to 
recover  the  purity  and  liberty  of  the  gospel  as  it  was  professed  and 
established  before  the  aforesaid  innovations."  Henderson  delivered 
a  powerful  sermon  in  Greyfriars  Church,  Edinburgh,  on  February 
28,  1638,  after  which  it  was  signed  in  the  churchyard, — tomb- 
stones serving  for  writing  tables, — by  thousands  of  persons,  some 
of  whom,  it  is  said,  drew  blood  from  their  arms  to  use  instead  of 
ink.  It  cost  many  of  them  the  blood  of  their  hearts,  eventually. 
Copies  of  the  Covenant  were  distributed  throughout  Scotland,  and 
signed  by  great  numbers  of  the  best  people  in  the  land.  On  that 
memorable  day,  in  old  Greyfriars  churchyard,  Henderson  said  the 
people  oflfered  themselves  like  dewdrops  in  the  morning  for  the 
service  of  heaven,  as  they  swore  allegiance  to  the  King  of  Kings. 
The  Covenanters  at  last  triumphed,  and  in  1639  the  "Barrier  Act" 
was  passed  by  Parliament,  providing  that  no  change  should  there- 
after be  made  in  the  laws  of  the  Church  without  the  sanction  of  the 
Assemblies  of  the  Church. 

34 


The  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith.  ^ 

The  next  year  after  Charles  I  fled  from  Whitehall,  London,  to 
return  no  more  until  his  execution,  while  Cromwell  was  rising 
among  his  compatriots  as  their  leader,  a  great  gathering  of  minis- 
ters and  elders  from  both  kingdoms  was  called  to  meet  in  West- 
minster Abbey.  It  has  become  historic  under  the  name  of  "The 
Westminster  Assembly."  It  sat  from  1643  to  1649,  and  prepared 
the  noblest  confession  of  faith  ever  given  to  the  world.  The  Eng- 
lish divines  had  already  met,  and  now  requested  the  assistance  of 
commissioners  from  the  Church  of  Scotland.  Another  celebrated 
declaration,  also  called  a  "Covenant,"  or  "THE  SOLEMN 
LEAGUE  AND  COVENANT,"  was  drawn  up  by  Alexander 
Henderson,  in  conference  with  English  commissioners  to  Edin- 
burgh. It  was  adopted  by  the  General  Assembly  in  that  city  on 
the  17th  day  of  August,  1643,  with  emotions  of  the  deepest  solem- 
nity, sent  up  to  London,  and  there  accepted  and  subscribed  by  the 
English  Parliament  and  the  Westminster  Assembly. 

"The  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  bound  the  United  Kingdoms 
to  endeavor  the  preservation  of  the  reformed  religion  in  the 
Church  of  Scotland,  in  doctrine,  worship,  discipline,  and  govern- 
ment, and  the  reformation  of  religion  in  the  Kingdoms  of  England 
and  Ireland,  according  to  the  Word  of  God  and  the  example  of  the 
best-reformed  churches, — the  extirpation  of  Popery  and  Prelacy, — 
the  defence  of  the  King's  person,  authority,  and  honor, — and  the 
preservation  and  defence  of  the  true  religion  and  liberties  of  the 
kingdom  in  peace  and  unity." 

The  object  of  this  League  was  to  secure  uniformity  in  the  re- 
ligious worship  of  the  two  countries,  and  the  Westminster  Assem- 
bly was  charged  with  preparing  a  doctrinal  basis  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  end.  The  Assembly  was  called  by  Parliament, 
and  consisted  of  Episcopalians,  Independents  and  Presbyterians. 
The  Episcopal  divines  declined  to  act ;  so  the  work  was  left  to  the 
two  latter.  The  Independents  were  a  small  minority,  yet  they  gave 
a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  the  progress  of  the  meeting.  Before  the 
arrival  of  the  Scottish  Commissioners,  Parliament  and  the  West- 
minster Assembly  had  resolved  upon  the  abolition  of  prelacy  in 

35 


the  Church  of  England,  though  what  form  of  church  government 
should  be  adopted  in  its  place  was  an  open  question.  The  English 
Presbyterians,  not  having  been  so  well  trained  in  Presbyterian 
polity,  relied  mainly  upon  the  Scottish  divines  for  the  explanation 
and  defence  of  that  system  of  church  government. 

The  results  of  this  Westminster  Assembly's  labors  have  been 
of  inestimable  value  in  moulding  the  thought  and  character  of  mil- 
lions of  people,  but  uniformity  of  faith  and  worship  was  not  se- 
cured in  Great  Britain.  The  Confession  of  Faith,  Catechisms, 
Discipline  and  Directory  for  Worship  were  adopted  only  by  Scot- 
land at  that  time,  though  they  have  since  become  the  doctrinal  basis 
of  nearly  all  English-speaking  Presbyterian  Churches  throughout 
the  world.  The  execution  of  Charles  I  at  Whitehall  was  sharply 
condemned  in  Scotland,  because  the  Scotch,  while  contending  for 
liberty  to  worship  God,  were  truly  loyal  to  the  Government.  This 
threw  them  into  antagonism  with  Cromwell.  "Prince  Charlie"  took 
refuge  among  them.  They  proclaimed  him  king,  with  the  title  of 
Charles  II,  and  he  subscribed  the  "Solemn  League  and  Covenant," 
thus  becoming  a  "Covenanter."  This  act  proved  afterwards  to 
have  been  hypocricy ;  and  when  he  was  restored  to  the  government 
of  the  two  kingdoms,  in  1660,  a  bitter  persecution  began,  which 
lasted  twenty-eight  years. 

Suffering  for  the  Faith.' 

Two  thousand  Presbyterian  ministers  were  driven  from  their 
pulpits  in  England  and  Episcopacy  restored.  In  1661  Episcopacy 
was  again  forced  on  Scotland.  The  Covenants  were  denounced, 
and  all  who  adhered  to  them  declared  to  be  traitors.  The  Marquis 
of  Argyle  was  beheaded  and  James  Guthrie  hanged  the  same  year, 
and  those  scenes  began  to  be  enacted  throughout  Scotland  which 
have  ever  si»ce  been  regarded  as  affording  at  once  exhibitions  of 
the  most  cruel  tyranny  and  bigotry,  and  of  the  noblest  heroism  in 
devotion  to  religious  convictions.  Diocesan  courts  were  set  up,  and 
no  minister  was  allowed  to  exercise  his  office  except  by  their  con- 
sent. The  Earl  of  Lauderdale  was  sent  to  the  west  country  to 
eniorce  this  system ;  but  four  hundred  ministers  resigned  their 
charges  rather  than  submit  to  what  was  in  direct  violation  of  their 

36 


consciences  and  their  covenant.  They  were  then  forbidden  to  hold 
services,  under  penalty  of  death.  Those  who  attended  such  serv- 
ices were  punished  by  fines  and  imprisonment.  Bodies  of  troops 
scoured  the  country,  under  such  men  as  Sir  James  Turner  and 
Graham  of  Claverhouse,  hated  names  in  Scottish  history,  to  break 
up  conventicles  or  out-of-door  assemblies  for  worship  and  to  kill 
the  saints  of  God. 

"Glory  to  God,  whose  witness  train, 
Those  heroes  bold  in  faith, 
Could  smile  at  poverty  and  pain 
And  triumph  even  in  death." 

Charles  II,  betrayer  of  Scotland,  and  at  heart  a  papist,  was 
succeeded  by  his  brother,  James  II,  who  threw  off  all  disguise  and 
openly  and  unscrupulously  undertook  to  impose  once  more  Catholi- 
cism on  Great  Britain.  It  was  his  son-in-law,  William  of  Orange, 
with  an  army  of  Dutch  Presbyterians,  aided  by  the  sturdy  Scotch, 
who  defeated  James  at  the  Battle  of  the  Boyne.  The  accession  of 
William  and  Mary  to  the  throne  was  the  occasion,  not  simply  of 
the  permanent  establishment  of  Presbyterianism  in  Scotland,  but 
of  giving  entire  religious  liberty  to  all  sects  and  creeds  throughout 
the  British  Isles. 

The  Restoration  of  the  Stuarts. 

Having  thus  narrated  the  facts,  it  may  not  be  inappropriate  to 
consider  them  briefly  from  the  viewpoint  of  the  Philosophy  of  His- 
tory. The  colossal  blunder  of  history  was  the  restoration  of  the 
Stuart  Dynasty  in  the  person  of  Charles  II  to  the  throne  of  Great 
Britain.  It  was  not  only  a  case  of  arrested  development  in  Con- 
stitutional Government,  but  it  was  likewise  a  violent  reaction 
toward  autocracy.  The  sacrifices  of  blood  and  treasure  by  the 
fathers  were  practically  wasted — for  that  generation.  The  dire 
effects  of  the  reaction  reached  like  a  dead  hand  into  the  future  and 
laid  its  blighting  touch  on  millions  yet  unborn. 


1.  Political  Consequences. 

It  was  a  wretched  reaction  from  the  growing  spirit  of  republi- 
can principles  and  human  liberty.  In  1215  the  Barons  had  ex- 
torted from  King  John  at  Runnymede  the  Grant  of  Rights,  known 
in  history  as  the  Magna  Charter.  The  growth  of  liberty  was  given 
a  new  impulse  by  the  Petition  of  Rights  in  1628,  a  very  memorable 
document,  citing  the  Great  Charter  and  rehearsing  the  legal  limita- 
tions upon  the  powers  of  the  English  King.  The  victory  won  by 
the  parliamentary  forces  against  the  Royalist  Army  of  Charles  I 
resulted  in  the  "Commonwealth"  under  the  Protectorate  of  Oliver 
Cromwell  during  which  time  Britain  enjoyed  the  first  full  breath 
of  Constitutional  liberty  and  bade  fair  to  lead  the  governments  of 
earth  in  the  cause  of  democracy.  Unfortunately  the  loyalty  of 
Scotland  to  their  Stuart  monarchs  led  to  the  Restoration  of  the 
dissolute  Charles  II  which  set  the  world  backward  by  hundreds  of 
years.  This  blunder  necessitated  the  Revolution  of  1688  under 
William,  Prince  of  Orange,  who  won  the  Battle  of  the  Boyne  in 
Ireland, — and  as  a  result  the  Orangemen  and  the  Papists  have 
been  fighting  in  that  unhappy  isle  ever  since.  The  Restoration  of 
Charles  made  necessary  the  American  Revolution  in  1776.  If  it 
had  not  taken  place  who  can  say  but  that  America  might  at  this 
time  have  been  a  constituent  part  of  a  great  Confederation  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  world — side  by  side  with  Britain,  Canada  and  Aus- 
tralia. Speculation  may  be  indulged  to  the  extent  of  saying,  possi- 
bly this  reaction  in  1660  was  the  explanation  of  the  French  Revo- 
lution in  1789  and  may  have  been  a  remote  cause  of  the  World 
War  for  Democracy  in  the  Twentieth  Century. 

2.  Religious  Disaster. 

It  permitted  and  promoted  a  reaction  toward  Sectarianism.  The 
Westminster  Assembly  had  been  called  by  Parliament  in  1643, 
composed  of  various  denominations,  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  a 
Creed  for  Christendom  in  order  to  eliminate  Sectarianism  and 
unify  the  Faith  of  the  Nation.  Its  Confession  of  Faith — the 
product  of  six  years  of  the  best  scholarship  of  the  Kingdom — was 
unanimously  adopted  by  Scotland.  It  was  fast  crystallizing  in  the 
thought  of  England  when  this  unfortunate  Restoration  halted  its 

38 


progress;  and  Charles  betrayed  the  Scotch — who  had  placed  him 
on  the  throne — by  driving  2000  Presbyterian  ministers  from  their 
pulpits  in  one  day.  This  arrested  the  new  Reformation  and 
promoted  a  reaction  in  favor  of  Ritualism, — which  necessitated  the 
great  spiritual  movement  later  under  Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys 
that  gave  birth  to  the  great  Evangelistic  Methodist  Church. 

3.    Three-Cornered  Conflict. 

In  his  "Outline  of  History"  (page  776)  H.  G.  Wells,  the  most 
suggestive  writer  of  the  day,  makes  this  striking  statement : 

"In  1638  Charles  tried  to  extend  the  half- Protestant,  half -Cath- 
olic characteristics  of  the  Church  of  England  to  his  other  Kingdom 
of  Scotland,  where  the  secession  from  Catholicism  had  been  more 
complete,  and  where  a  non-sacerdotal,  non-sacramental  form  of 
Christianity,  Presbyterianism,  has  been  established  as  the  national 
church." 

This  effort,  that  had  ended  in  disaster,  was  revived  by  the 
Restoration  of  Charles  II,  which  prevented  the  possible  unity  of 
Protestantism  and  hopelessly  complicated  the  conflict.  Instead, 
therefore,  of  a  simple  contest  between  the  prelacy  of  Rome  and 
the  democracy  of  Christianity,  Episcopacy  with  its  Ritualism  came 
to  the  aid  of  Rome  and  perpetuated  a  system  of  worship,  belonging 
more  properly  to  Old  Testament  times  than  to  the  simplicity  of  the 
Christian  Dispensation. 

This  has  made  more  difficult  the  task  of  the  church  in  promoting 
spiritual  spontaneous  worship,  that  appeals  to  the  inner  soul, 
rather  than  spectacular  ritualism  which  appeals  to  the  outer  senses. 
This  blunder  of  history  did  not  confine  its  evil  effects  to  the  Brit- 
ish Empire  but  reached  across  the  sea  and  fanned  mto  a  flame 
the  American  Revolution,  which  was  largely  a  rebellion  against 
the  encroachments  of  Episcopacy  on  religious  liberty  in  America. 

V. 
The  Conflict  in  America. 

There  remained,  therefore,  one  more  battle  for  historic  Presby- 
terianism.   Its  struggle  for  religious  liberty  was  transferred  over- 

39 


seas  to  the  American  provinces.  The  Episcopal  was  the  estab- 
lished Church  in  Virginia,  New  York,  and  other  of  the  Colonies. 
Presbyterians  were  denied  the  right  of  worship,  though  many  of 
them  had  emigrated  to  America  for  the  privilege  of  worshiping 
according  to  the  dictates  of  their  own  conscience.  Francis  Ma- 
Kemie,  the  first  and  ablest  Presbyterian  minister,  was  thrown  into 
prison,  and  others  were  fined  and  imprisoned.  It  was  one  of  the 
chief  causes  that  led  to  the  American  Revolution.  The  Boston  in- 
cident of  the  tea  was  simply  the  occasion.  Men  will  fight  more 
valiantly  for  religious  principles  than  for  any  other  consideration. 
Until  the  time  "of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  the  Presby- 
terians were  denied  a  charter  of  incorporation"  in  New  York. 
John  Adams,  one  of  the  Presidents  of  the  United  States,  said : 
"In  Virginia  the  Church  of  England  was  established  by  law  in 
exclusion  and  without  toleration  of  any  denomination.  In  New 
York  it  displayed  its  essential  character  of  intolerance.  Large 
grants  of  land  were  made  to  it,  while  other  denominations  could 
obtain  none;  and  even  Dr.  Rodgers*  congregation  in  New  York, 
numerous  and  respected  as  it  was,  could  never  obtain  a  legal  title 
to  a  spot  to  bury  its  dead.'*  In  the  same  letter  he  adduces  facts 
to  prove  what  he  terms  "the  bigotry,  intrigue,  intolerance  and  per- 
secution'* of  the  Establishment,  and  to  confirm  his  statement  that 
the  dread  of  Episcopacy  was  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the  revolt 
of  the  Colonies  against  Great  Britain. 

The  first  Declaration  of  Independence  that  was  published  and 
adopted  at  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  May  20,  1775,  written  by  a 
Presbyterian  elder,  Ephriam  Brevard,  became  the  model  for  the 
National  Declaration  in  1776.  The  Revolution  was  known  in 
England  as  a  Presbyterian  Rebellion,  and  Horace  Walpole  in  the 
British  Parliament  said  that,  "Cousin  America  had  run  oflf  with  a 
Presbyterian  parson." 

In  fighting  the  battles  of  religious  freedom  for  itself,  it  has 
incidentally  given  this  boon  to  all  lands  and  creeds,  but  never  once 
has  it  imposed  its  principles  by  force  on  people  of  other  creeds. 
Its  weapons  are  not  carnal.  It  seeks  to  win  by  moral  suasion  and 
by  appeal  if)  hearts  and  consciences,  based  solely  on  the  Word  of 
God. 

40 


The  eloquent  language  of  Dr.  Thomas  Verner  Moore,  spoken 
of  Scotch  Presbyterianism,  might  with  equal  force  be  applied  to 
the  Presbyterianism  of  the  ages:  "Its  acorn  had  been  planted  on 
the  misty  hills  by  the  hands  of  men  who  gathered  it  from  spots 
where  Paul  planted,  Apollos  watered,  and  John  garnered  the  in- 
crease ;  and  it  was  lodged  in  a  soil  that  was  untrodden  and  unsub- 
dued by  the  tramp  of  those  mailed  legions  of  Rome  that  had 
almost  conquered  the  world.  Its  stalwart  trunk  grew  on  apace, 
although  the  boar  out  of  the  wood  did  waste  it,  and  the  wild 
beast  out  of  the  field  did  devour  it,  though  the  fierce  storm  of 
persecution  wrested  with  its  boughs  and  snapped  many  of  them 
with  a  martyr's  bloody  fate;  though  the  axe  was  laid  at  its  root 
again  and  again,  and  twice  at  least  was  it  hewn  to  the  very  ground 
by  Saxon  and  Anglo-Saxon  hands,  yet  the  root  still  lived,  and  put 
forth  its  undying  vigor  with  a  greener  growth  by  this  terrible 
pruning,  until  it  stands  today,  the  brave  old  Charter-Oak  of 
Christendom,  with  a  life  so  ineradicable  that  the  gates  of  hell  never 
prevailed  against  it,  and  we  trust  never  shall,  until  its  topmost 
boughs  shall  catch  the  earliest  rays  of  the  coming  of  that  Jesus, 
for  whose  crown  and  covenant  so  many  of  its  offspring  loved  not 
their  lives  even  unto  the  death." 


41 


CHAPTER  III.    # 

^rerfiptetianfem  anb  Calbinisfm. 

The  two  are  not  identical,  but  are  so  thoroughly  linked  together 
by  their  logical  consistency,  by  their  natural  affinity  and  by  their 
association  in  the  Word  of  God  that  it  might  be  appropriately  said 
of  them:  The  effort  to  separate  them  has  but  verified  the  state- 
ment: "United  we  stand,  divided  we  fall."  Each  has  at  times 
maintained  a  precarious  separate  existence,  but  neither  has 
flourished  apart  from  the  other.  As  the  learned  Dr.  Albert  Barnes 
says,  "There  are  no  permanent  Arminian,  Pelagian,  Socinian 
Presbyteries,  Synods,  General  Assemblies  on  earth.  There  are  no 
permanent  instances  where  these  forms  of  belief  or  unbelief  take 
on  the  Presbyterian  form.  There  are  no  Presbyterian  forms  of 
ecclesiastical  administration  where  they  would  be  long  retained." 

Distinctive  Differences. 

Presbyterianism  has  sole .  reference  to  the  form  of  government 
by  "elders" — republicanism  in  the  religious  sphere.  Calvinism 
denotes  a  certain  type  of  theology  as  opposed  to  Arminianism. 
The  name  is  a  misnomer,  called  Calvinism  after  John  Calvin,  one  of 
its  ablest  expounders  and  defenders  in  the  argument  with  Pighius. 
Paul's  reasoning  in  the  Ninth  Chapter  of  Romans  with  a  theo- 
retical Arminian  was  repeated  in  the  controversy  between 
Augustine  and  Pelagius,  and  later  between  Calvin  and  Pighius, — 
forerunner  of  Arminius.  The  system  in  its  theological  aspect  has, 
therefore,  been  variously  designated  as  "Pauline,"  "Augustinian," 
or  "Calvinistic."  On  its  scientific  side  as  a  world  system,  em- 
bracing the  whole  realm  of  life — theology,  republicanism,  and  a  dis- 
tinctive type  of  Christian  living — it  is  justly  accredited  to  John 
Calvin,  whom  Renan,  the  skeptic  and  scholar,  terms  "The  most 
Christian  man  of  his  generation." 

42 


The  Philosophy  of  Life. 

1.  In  the  Koran,  Mohammed  represents  "Allah,"  his  God,  as 
plucking  a  piece  of  clay  and  throwing  it  backward  over  his 
shoulder  for  those  that  are  to  be  saved,  and  saying  "I  care  not," 
and  then  as  plucking  another  piece  and  tossing  it  over  his  shoulder 
for  the  lost  and  saying  "I  care  not."  This  is  known  as  Fatalism, 
the  creed  of  Mohammedanism,  the  philosophy  of  stoicism,  the 
theology  of  the  Primitive  Baptist,  the  guiding  principle  of  cer- 
tain individuals,  such  as  Napoleon  Bonaparte. 

2.  The  opposite  of  Fatalism  is  that  philosophy  of  life  which 
exalts  man  as  the  arbiter  of  his  own  destiny,  as  sufficient  unto 
himself,  as  self-determining  in  volition,  as  actuated  by  his  own 
feelings  and  influenced  largely  by  environment  rather  than 
heredity.  For  lack  of  a  better  name  it  might  be  called  "Chance." 
As  a  life  system  its  natural  affinity  is  with  the  philosophy  of 
Epicureus  and  the  theology  of  Arminius.  In  its  last  analysis  its 
votaries  are  victims  of  circumstances.  In  their  thought,  "The 
Sovereignty  of  God"  and  "Divine  Providence"  are  not  the  con- 
trolling factors  of  human  life;  but  "accidents"  play  a  prominent 
part.  Illustrating  this  view  of  life,  occurred  an  incident  years  ago 
which  is  still  narrated  in  that  community.  A  certain  character — 
as  well  called  Jones  as  by  any  other  name — ^was  notorious  for 
"falling  from  grace."  During  a  campmeeting  conducted  by 
Father  Danly  and  others,  "Jones"  again  "professed  religion." 
The  fact  being  reported  to  Father  Danly,  the  eccentric  Arminian 
preacher  cried  out :  "Kill  him !  Kill  him !  before  he  loses  it !"  It 
was  the  subject  of  a  jest ;  but  it  attaches  to  a  system  which  teaches 
that  the  salvation  of  a  soul  depends  upon  the  accident  of  death 
occurring  at  a  time  of  being  "in"  or  "out  of"  grace. 

3.  Between  these  two  philosophies  of  Fatalism  and  Human 
Sufficiency  stands  Calvinism,  which  places  God  on  the  throne  as 
Sovereign,  "foreordaining  whatsoever  cometh  to  pass,"  as  "gov- 
erning all  his  creatures  and  all  their  actions."  It  differs  from 
Fatalism  in  that  Calvinism  recognizes  the  free-agency  of  man  and 
insists  on  the  use  of  human  means.  It  differs  from  Human  Suf- 
ficiency in  that  it  makes  salvation  depend  not  upon  the  human 

43 


but  the  divine  "will,"  and  lifts  salvation  out  of  the  realm  of  "ac- 
cident" and  into  the  sphere  of  Providence,  in  which  the  soul  is 
"kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  unto  salvation."  Its 
key-note  is  grace — "sovereign  grace/*  which  "first  contrived  the 
way" ;  and  chose  us  in  Him,  "before  the  foundation  of  the  world" ; 
enabling  grace,  "which  gently  forced  us  in" ;  ''sustaining  grace"  in 
time  of  temptation,  or  in  the  trial  of  affliction ;  and  sufficient  grace 
for  all  times,  events,  circumstances  and  conditions.    ' 

One  being  asked  of  what  "persuasion"  he  was,  replied  as  only 
a  Calvinist  can — whether  so  classifying  himself  or  not, — "I  am 
persuaded  that  neither  death  nor  life,  nor  angels  nor  principalities 
nor  powers,  nor  things  present  nor  things  to  come,  nor  height  nor 
depth,  nor  any  other  creature  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the 
love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 

This  definition  and  exposition  of  Calvinism  are  stated  for  the 
purpose  of  demonstrating  its  truth,  by  argument  and  logic,  beyond 
the  peradventure  of  a  doubt,  and  for  a  defense  against  misrepre- 
sentations which  have  been  brought  against  it,  whether  by  ignor- 
ance or  prejudice.  If  it  does  not  "convince  gainsayers,"  it  may 
perchance  edify  its  adherents  as  to  the  stable  foundation  upon 
which  faith  rests. 

I. 

To  the  Law  and  to  the  Testimony. 

First  of  all  and  most  potent  of  all  is  the  appeal  to  the  Scriptures 
in  the  support  of  its  truth.  What  is  the  supreme  test  of  truth? 
Are  reason  and  fallible  human  judgments  to  be  the  final  authority ; 
or  is  the  Word  of  God  ?  It  is  not  a  question  whether  it  commends 
itself  to  our  opinions,  thoughts  or  desires.  The  sole  question  is, 
does  the  Word  of  God  teach  the  system  known  as  Calvinism? 

The  general  terms  used  to  express  it  occur  so  frequently  that  it 
can  be  truthfully  maintained  that  it  is  interwoven  throughout  the 
whole  structure  of  the  Bible.  "Predestinate"  occurs  six  times; 
"ordain"  and  "foreordain"  twelve  times ;  "Election"  twenty-seven 
times ;  and  "chosen"  twenty-five  times ;  making  a  total  of  seventy 
times.  Equivalent  expressions  abound  so  numerously  that  in  order 
to  eliminate  it  effectually,  it  would  be  necessary  to  rewrite  the 

44 


entire  Word  of  God.  Supporting  this  general  statement  the  truth 
becomes  irresistible  by  the  following  specific  citations. 

1.    The  Teaching  of  Christ. 

It  was  Christ  who  affirmed  that  "many  are  called  but  few  are 
chosen,"  and  who  unhesitatingly  declared  that  the  divine  provi- 
dence affecting  individuals  and  nations  was  determined  and  con- 
ditioned "for  the  elect's  sake."  No  Calvinist  ever  uttered  stronger 
Calvinism  than  his  declaration :  "No  man  can  come  unto  me  except 
it  were  given  him  of  my  Father."  "All  that  the  Father  giveth  me 
shall  come  to  me."  "And  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life  and  they 
shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any  man  pluck  them  out  of  my 
hand."     (John  VI  and  X  Chaps.) 

It  is  often  said,  "All  men  are  Calvinists  on  their  knees."  Prayer 
itself  is  essentially  Calvinistic.  Never  was  there  a  better  illustra- 
tion of  this  fact  than  the  intercessory  prayer  of  the  Master  at  the 
first  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  in  the  very  shadow  of  the 
cross:  "Father,  the  hour  is  come,  glorify  thy  Son  that  thy  Son 
may  glorify  thee  as  thou  hast  given  him  power  over  all  flesh,  that 
he  should  give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  thou  hast  given  him.  .  .  . 
I  have  manifested  thy  name  unto  the  men  which  thou  gavest  me 
out  of  the  world.  Thine  they  were  and  thou  gavest  them  me.  .  .  . 
I  pray  for  them ;  I  pray  not  for  the  world  but  for  them  which  thou 

has  given  me Holy  Father,  keep  through  thine  own  name 

those  whom  thou  hast  given  me.  .  .  .  While  I  was  with  them  in 
the  world  I  kept  them  in  thy  name ;  those  that  thou  gavest  me  I 
have  kept.  .  .  .  Father  I  will  that  they  also  whom  thou  has  given 
me  be  with  me  where  I  am,"  etc.  (John  XVII.)  In  this  interces- 
sory prayer  Christ  asserts  over  and  over  that  certain  were  "given" 
Him  of  the  Father,  "kept"  by  Him;  and  he  could  surrender  His 
trust  with  the  proof  of  his  fidelity  in  that  "none  of  them  is  lost." 
Lest  any  should  charge  Judas  Iscariot  as  an  exception  he  ex- 
pressly excludes  him  as  "The  son  of  perdition,"  who  was  never 
one  of  his  chosen,  but  a  "devil  from  the  beginning.^'  Calvinism 
cannot  be  better  expressed  than  in  the  language  of  Christ — 
''Given"  to  Christ  and  ''kept"  by  His  almighty  power. 

45 


2.  The  Theology  of  Paul. 

The  Confession  of  Faith  contains  no  stronger  statement  than 
the  following  by  the  inspired  Apostle :  "According  as  He  has 
chosen  us  in  Him  before  the  foundation  of  the  world  that  we 
should  be  holy  and  without  blame  before  Him  in  love;  having 
predestinated  us  unto  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ  to 
Himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  His  will,  to  the  praise 
of  the  glory  of  His  grace  wherein  He  hath  made  us  accepted  in  the 
beloved.'*  (Eph.  1:4-6.  This  specimen  of  Pauline  theology  is 
the  very  essence  of  Calvinism. 

3.  The  Testimony  of  Peter. 

Peter,  while  reminding  believers  that  "our  beloved  brother 
Paul,"  wrote  "some  things  hard  to  be  understood  which  they  that 
are  unlearned  and  unstable  wrest  as  they  do  also  the  other  Scrip- 
tures unto  their  own  destruction,"  was  no  less  positive  and  Calvin- 
istic  in  his  own  epistles:  "Elect  according  to  the  foreknowledge 
of  God  the  Father,  through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  unto  obe- 
dience and  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ;  Grace  unto 
you,  and  peace,  be  multiplied."  "Who  are  kept  by  the  power  of 
God  through  faith  unto  salvation  ready  to  be  revealed  in  the  last 
time."     (1  Peter  1:2  and  5.)' 

4.  The  Declaration  of  the  Apostle  of  Love. 

John,  the  beloved,  is  none  the  less  emphatic  and  as  positive  in 
his  statements.  In  his  explanation  of  the  defection  of  some  from 
the  faith  he  goes  at  once  to  the  root  of  the  matter  boldly  affirming : 
"They  went  out  from  us,  but  they  were  not  of  us,  for  if  they  had 
been  of  us  they  would  no  doubt  have  continued  with  us :  but  they 
went  out  that  they  might  be  made  manifest  that  they  were  not  all 
of  us."  (1  John  2:19.)  In  his  description  of  the  "New  Jeru- 
salem" with  its  gates  of  pearl  and  its  streets  of  gold,  its  glories 
and  the  happiness  of  its  inhabitants,  he  makes  bold  the  assertion 
that  none  enter  in  "but  they  which  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  Book 
of  Life."     (Rev.  21 :27.) 

46 


5.    Other  Inspired  Writers. 

James,  the  brother  of  our  Lord,  affirms:  "Known  unto  God 
are  all  his  works  from  the  beginning."  Jude,  the  briefest  of  all 
writers  of  the  New  Testament,  bears  testimony  to  the  same  truth : 
"Jude,  the  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  brother  of  James,  to  them 
that  are  sanctified  by  God  the  Father,  and  preserved  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  called :  Mercy  unto  you,  and  peace,  and  love,  be  multi- 
plied. Beloved,  when  I  gave  all  diligence  to  write  unto  you  of 
the  common  salvation,  it  was  needful  for  me  to  write  unto  you 
and  exhort  you  that  ye  should  earnestly  contend  for  the  faith 
which  was  once  delivered  unto  the  saints.  For  there  are  certain 
men  crept  in  unawares,  who  were  before  of  old  ordained  to  this 
condemnation,  ungodly  men,  turning  from  grace  of  our  God  into 
lasciviousness,  and  denying  the  only  Lord  God,  and  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  .  .  . 

"Now  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  keep  you  from  falling,  and  to 
present  you  faultless  before  the  presence  of  his  glory  with  ex- 
ceeding joy,  to  the  only  wise  God  our  Saviour,  be  glory  and 
majesty,  dominion  and  power,  both  now  and  forever.    Amen." 

Without  an  exception,  therefore,  the  writers  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament join  with  one  accord  in  support  of  the  succinct  statement 
of  Luke,  author  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  that  "As  many  as 
were  ordained  to  eternal  life  believed,"  (Acts  13 :48)  thereby  link- 
ing the  sovereign  decree  of  God  with  the  voluntary  act  of  the  soul 
in  the  exercise  of  saving  faith. 

These  are  but  specimens  of  multitudes  of  testimonies  to  the  truth 
which  could  be  adduced — sufficient  to  prove  any  proposition  in  the 
range  of  thought — and  if  they  are  not  convincing  it  is  useless  to 
appeal  to  the  Scriptures  as  authority. 

Although  an  appeal  to  Scripture  is  thus  sufficient  in  itself,  yet 
certain  other  considerations  will  be  adduced  simply  as  corrob- 
orative testimony. 

IL 

The  Logic  of  Philosophy. 

No  effort  is  attempted  to  prove  the  separate  "Five  Points  of 
Calvinism"  for  lack  of  space,  and  for  the  other  sufficient  reason 

47 


that  the  system  is  consistent  and  the  proof  of  any  one  carries  with 
it  necssarily  the  others;  so  that  the  method  of  treatment  for  the 
sake  of  brevity  is  rather  of  the  system  as  a  whole. 

The  sovereignty  of  God,  which  is  the  fundamental  essence  of 
Calvinism,  is  necessitated  by  the  nature  and  the  attributes  of  God. 

1.  Foreordination  and  foreknowledge  imply  each  other.  If  any 
event  is  foreknown  it  is  because  it  was  fixed  and  unchangeable. 
There  is  no  escaping  this  conclusion  except  by  denying  fore- 
knowledge itself,  which  contradicts  the  Scripture — "Known  unto 
God  are  all  His  works  from  the  beginning  of  the  world."  Adam 
Clark,  the  ablest  exponent  of  Arminianism,  attempts  to  avoid  the 
difficulty  by  saying,  "God  holds  in  abeyance  some  things  which  He 
does  not  choose  to  know."  This  involves  two  greater  difficulties. 
(1)  God  must  necessarily  first  know  all  things  before  He  could 
choose  to  discriminate.  (2)  It  would  be  unworthy  of  His  moral 
character  to  avoid  responsibility  by  voluntary  ignorance. 

2.  The  immutability  of  God  necessitates  a  plan  for  the  universe 
which  admits  of  no  change.  Any  modification  would  argue  after- 
thought and  imperfection.  Limited  wisdom  and  mutability  of 
decree  would  divest  God  of  His  nature  and  attributes.  William 
the  Silent  was  driven  to  Calvinism  as  a  refuge,  because  he  could 
not  worship  a  God  without  a  plan  and  with  limitations  of  his 
perfections. 

3.  Propbecy  is  in  itself  an  unanswerable  argument  for  the  fixed 
decrcees  of  God.  Only  that  which  is  fixed  and  will  surely  come  to 
pass  can  be  predicted.  Unless  the  future  is  predetermined,  how 
can  any  prophet  foresee  and  foretell  ?  Were  the  prophets  better  in- 
formed than  the  Sovereign  Ruler  of  the  universe  ?  The  decrees  of 
God  are  inseparably  linked  together  according  to  inspired  revela- 
tion. "Moreover,  whom  He  did  predestinate,  them  He  also  called : 
and  whom  He  called  them  He  also  justified,  and  whom  He  justi- 
fied them  He  also  glorified."  The  same  parties  are  predestinated, 
called,  justified  and  glorified — four  links  in  the  golden  chain  of 
decrees  which  reach  from  eternity  past  to  eternity  future.  Not  a 
link  in  the  chain  can  be  broken  without  doing  violence  not  simply  to 
revealed  truth,  but  to  the  character  of  God  himself. 


48 


Conditional  Decrees  a  Contradiction. 

Even  Arminians  ordinarily  admit  the  force  of  the  truth,  but 
would  void  its  force  by  making  the  decrees  conditional  on  faith 
and  limited  to  time,  and  consequently  subject  to  change.  Con- 
trary to  the  statement  that  faith  is  the  moving  cause  of  predesti- 
nation, Scripture  affirms  that  it  is  God's  own  good  pleasure  and  not 
on  account  of  anything  in  the  subject  of  the  decrees.  Contrary  to 
decrees  originating  in  time.  Scripture  affirms  that  it  was  "from 
the  foundation  of  the  world."  Conditional  decrees  would  be  a 
contradiction  in  terms.  Decrees  which  change  with  changing  cir- 
cumstances are  only  divine  attitudes,  moods  or  impulses,  and  not 
decrees  in  any  sense.  If  it  be  argued  that  predestination  is  based 
upon  foreknowledge  simply,  then  it  becomes  a  work  entirely  un- 
necessary; for  if  foreseen,  then  the  matter  is  already  a  certainty, 
and  "predestination"  would  be  a  farce  in  determining  that  which 
for  some  reason  is  already  fixed. 

Conditional  eternal  life  is  a  contradiction  in  terms.  If  "con- 
ditional," it  is  not  "eternal."  If  "eternal,"  it  is  not  conditional. 
Christ  says,  "I  give  unto  them  eternal  life."  The  Calvinistic  sys- 
tem therefore  is  not  only  strictly  Scriptural,  but  consistently  logical. 

III. 

Calvinism  Reinforced  by  Science  aud  Literature. 

From  the  most  unexpected  sources,  confirmation  of  the  truth 
is  now  coming.  Skeptics  have  attacked  with  all  the  force  of  their 
ungodly  scholarship,  and  the  criminal  classes  have  manifested  a 
bitter  hatred  of  Calvinism  which  can  be  explained  only  as  a 
manifestation  of  the  "carnal  mind  which  is  enmity  against  God," 
and  is  therefore  an  indirect  proof  of  its  truth.  Such  opposition  of 
unregenerate  human  nature  is  in  keeping  with  the  divine  statment : 
"For  my  thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways 
my  ways,  saith  the  Lord.  For  as  the  Heavens  are  higher  than 
the  earth  so  are  my  ways  than  your  ways, — and  my  thoughts  than 
your  thoughts."  (Isa.  55  :  7-S.)  It  is  strikingly  significant,  there- 
fore, that  unconsciously  and  unintentionally  such  eminent  scientists 
as  Charles  Darwin  and  Herbert  Spenser,  in  their  conclusions  as 

49 


to  the  laws  of  heredity  and  evolution  should  become  blind  witnesses 
to  a  philosophy  of  the  universe,  which  is  strangely  consistent  with 
some  of  the  phases  of  Calvinism.  It  is  still  more  significant  that 
only  Calvinism  can  save  their  system  of  philosophy  from  the 
pitfall  of  hopeless  fatalism.  The  reign  of  law  in  nature  precludes 
and  excludes  all  possibilities  of  chance.  Calvinism  is  that  system 
of  philosophy  which  exalts  the  sovereignty  of  God  in  nature  and 
in  grace  and  which  prevents  nature — and  sinful  human  nature  as 
a  constituent  part — from  becoming  a  blind  machine  working  out 
its  inevitable  consequences  according  to  immutable  laws.  No  other 
system  except  Calvinism  can  take  into  account  the  facts  and  laws 
of  the  universe  and  evolve  a  theory  which  gives  hope  to  a  chaotic 
world  and  at  the  same  time  glorify  the  God  of  nature  and  of  grace. 

Literature  Assents. 

As  a  specimen  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  writing  to  a  young  man 
who  chooses  art  as  a  profession  makes  this  singular  statement: 
"Lastly  we  come  to  those  vocations  which  are  at  once  decisive  and 
precise;  to  the  men  who  are  born  with  the  love  of  pigments,  the 
passion  of  drawing,  the  gift  of  music,  or  the  impulse  to  create  with 
words,  just  as  other  and  perhaps  the  same  men  are  born  with  the 
love  of  hunting,  or  the  sea  or  horses,  or  the  turning  lathe.  These 
are  predestined ;  if  a  man  love  the  labor  of  any  trade  apart  from 
any  question  of  success  or  fame,  the  gods  have  called  him." 

Even  poetry  lends  its  rhymes  in  approval.  Speaking  of  the 
inborn  inclination  of  two  brothers,  it  affirms : 

"You  may  grind  them  in  the  self-same  mill, 
You  may  bind  them  heart  and  brow, 
The  poet  will  follow  the  rainbow  still, 
The  other  will  follow  the  plow." 

To  its  support  Calvinism  is  the  only  system  which  can  summon 
Scripture,  Philosophy,  Logic,  Science  and  Literature.  It  has  been 
assailed  by  ignorance  and  by  scholarship  alike,  but  it  has  never 
been  shaken.  It  has  been  misrepresented  by  passion  and  by  pre- 
judice, and  much  of  the  opposition  is  directed  not  against  Cal- 
vinism but  against  caricatures  of  it.    It  is  not  more  unpopular  than 

50 


many  other  plain  teachings  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  we  may 
safely  leave  its  vindication  to  the  Scriptures  and  with  the  God 
of  grace  and  of  providence. 

IV. 

The  Calvinism  of  Presbyterianism. 

With  those  who  caricature  it  and  make  a  man  of  straw  for  the 
pleasure  of  demolishing  it,  argument  is  worse  than  useless.  For 
the  instruction  of  our  own  people  and  to  correct  misapprehensions, 
it  may  be  said,  Calvinism  is  not  what  is  charged  by  its  enemies, 
but  it  is  what  is  believed  by  its  advocates.  The  exposition  of  Cal- 
vinism as  held  by  Presbyterians  will  make  plain  our  teaching  and 
serve  at  the  same  time  to  answer  some  of  the  popular  objections 
to  it. 

1.    Calvinism,  Not  Fatalism. 

The  objection  that  Calvinism  teaches  that  some  men  were  made 
to  be  saved  and  others  to  be  lost,  irrespective  of  their  actions  and 
character,  is  a  caricature  of  the  truth.  That  is  fatalism  pure  and 
simple,  repudiated  by  Presbyterians,  and  as  much  condemned  by 
them  as  by  any  other  class.  The  Confession  of  Faith  emphasizes 
the  use  of  means,  which  distinguishes  Calvinism  from  Fatalism. 
The  objection  is  most  effectually  answered  by  the  following 
quotations  from  the  Confession :  "God  from  all  eternity  did  by  the 
most  wise  and  holy  counsel  of  His  own  will  freely  and  unchange- 
ably ordain  whatsoever  comes  to  pass;  yet  so  as  thereby  neither 
is  God  the  author  of  sin ;  nor  is  violence  offered  to  the  will  of  the 
creatures,  nor  is  the  liberty  or  contingency  of  second  cause  taken 
away,  but  rather  established."  "As  God  hath  appointed  the  elect 
unto  glory,  so  hath  He,  by  the  eternal  and  most  free  purpose  of 
His  will,  foreordained  all  the  means  thereunto.  Wherefore  they 
who  are  elected  being  fallen  in  Adam,  are  redeemed  by  Christ,  are 
effectually  called  unto  faith  in  Christ  by  his  Spirit  working  in  due 
season;  are  justified,  adopted  and  sanctified,  and  kept  by  His 
power  through  faith  unto  salvation.'* 

Nowhere  does  the  Confession  of  Faith  represent  that  God 
created  any  souls  unto  damnation.     On  the  contrary,  Calvinism 

51 


contemplates  men  as  already  lost  by  their  own  sin;  and  the 
object  of  predestination  is  to  rescue  from  death  "a  great 
multitude  which  no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and 
kindreds  and  peoples  and  tongues."  "The  rest  of  mankind"  were 
"passed  by"  and  left  to  the  consequences  of  "their  sin."  No  de- 
cree of  God  constituted  them  sinners,  and  it  cannot  be  claimed 
that  God  was  under  obligation  to  save  them  from  the  consequences 
of  their  own  sinful  nature  and  wicked  deeds.  If  salvation  were 
a  matter  of  obligation  it  would  not  be  of  grace.  If  the  question 
is  raised,  why  any  are  "chosen  by  God"  it  might  be  answered,  it  is 
because  men  in  their  wilfulness  and  depravity  would  not  "choose" 
God.  Left  to  themselves  without  the  saving  grace  of  God  every 
individual  of  the  lost  race  would  have  refused  the  offer  of  mercy 
and  the  whole  race  would  have  been  inevitably  irretrievably  lost; 
so  that  Christ  would  have  died  in  vain.  Therefore  the  very  object 
of  predestination  is  to  prevent  the  universal  damnation  of  a  lost 
race. 

If  the  objection  be  raised,  why  God  did  not  save  all  the  lost,  it 
could  be  answered  that  it  would  at  once  eliminate  all  motives  to  a 
holy  life.  If  God  should  decree  a  whole  lost  world  to  salvation,  it 
would  take  away  all  freedom  of  choice  and  all  moral  character.  If 
the  question  be  asked  what  influenced  God  in  his  distinction  be- 
tween lost  souls,  it  must  be  answered  that  God  himself  has  not 
revealed  His  secret  purposes,  and  His  creatures  must  leave  some 
things  to  the  wisdom,  holiness  and  justice  of  God.  "Who  can  by 
searching  find  out  God  or  know  the  Almighty  unto  perfection?" 
Where  human  reason  fails  adoration  begins — "Oh  the  depth  of 
the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God !  How  un- 
searchable are  His  judgments  and  His  ways  past  finding  out !" 

2.    The  Sovereignty  of  God  and  the  Free-Agency  of  Man. 

The  objection  is  often  raised  that  divine  Sovereignty  and  human 
free-agency  are  contradictory.  Some  under  constraint  of  choosing 
between  them  reject  the  Sovereignty  of  God  because  in  their 
judgment  it  would  destroy  free-agency.  Calvinists  are  not  com- 
pelled to  choose  between  them,  but  accept  both  as  true,  because  the 
Word  of  God  teaches  one  as  truly  as  the  other.     "Holy  men  of 

52 


God,  who  spoke  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,"  not  only 
saw  no  contradiction  between  them  but  did  not  hesitate  to  join 
them  together  in  the  same  text,  as  for  example : 

Christ  asserts  in  John  6:37,  "All  that  the  Father  giveth  me 
shall  come" — Divine  Sovereignty — and  adds  in  the  same  text, 
"And  him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." — human 
free  agency.  Paul  unhesitatingly  joins  them  together :  "Work  out 
your  own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling.  For  it  is  God  which 
worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure." 
(Phil.  2,  12-13.) 

Peter  declares  the  crucifixion  was  "by  the  determinate  counsel 
and  foreknowledge  of  God,"  and  yet  asserts  their  free  agency  in 
that  His  murderers  did  it  "by  wicked  hands."  If  there  were  con- 
flict between  the  two,  then  the  Sovereignty  of  God  in  foreordain- 
ing the  crucifixion  "by  the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge 
of  God"  would  have  relieved  the  agents  of  all  responsibility  and 
it  would  not  have  been  "by  wicked  hands."  It  is  evident  then 
that  an  event  may  be  foreordained  without  in  the  slightest  aflfecting 
free-agency. 

Calvinists  who  accept  the  two  because  both  are  taught  in  the 
word  readily  admit  the  difificulty  of  reconciling  the  two  by  reason 
of  the  limitations  of  the  human  mind. 

Illustrations. 

At  best,  illustrations  by  way  of  analogy  are  all  the  explanation 
which  can  be  given  of  some  of  the  deep  things  of  God.  Common 
table  salt  is  necessary  to  seasoning  and  health  in  articles  of  diet, 
yet  it  is  composed  of  two  deadly  poisons.  Separate  them  and 
discard  either  and  the  other  is  a  menace  to  life  itself.  The  orbit 
of  earth  is  the  resultant  of  two  forces  diametrically  opposite. 
Separate  them  and  the  centrifugal  force  would  cause  the  earth 
to  fly  off  into  space  at  a  tangent.  The  centripetal  on  the  other 
hand  would  hurl  it  into  the  sun  to  its  utter  destruction.  Under  the 
influence  of  the  two  combined  it  moves  safely  in  its  appointed  orbit. 
In  like  manner  human  life  is  controlled  by  two  influences  seemingly 
contradictory,  according  to  human  judgment.  Destroy  either,  and 
the  consequences  are  fatal.    Destroy  the  free-agency  of  man  and 

53 


he  is  the  victim  of  inexorable  fate.  Eliminate  the  Sovereignty  of 
God  and  man  is  as  inevitably  the  victim  of  capricious  chance. 
Under  the  combined  influence  of  the  two,  the  soul  moves  har- 
moniously in  its  orbit  of  righteousness. 

The  Divine  and  Human. 

The  plan  of  salvation  has  its  divine  and  its  human  aspect. 
From  the  divine  standpoint  every  human  life  is  a  plan  of  God. 
All  the  circumstances,  events  and  actions  in  the  life  of  the  indi- 
vidual are  arranged  and  determined  according  to  a  divine  plan, — 
the  dictates  of  infinite  wisdom  for  the  moral  government  of  the 
universe.  Nothing  can  thwart  the  loving  purpose  of  God.  Pre- 
destination in  eternity  past,  providence  in  the  working  of  the  plan, 
the  welfare  of  the  universe  and  the  glory  of  God,  are  "parts  of 
one  stupendous  whole." 

An  appeal  to  human  experience  surely  confirms  the  truth.  Who 
determined  whether  you  should  be  born  in  a  Christian  or  a  heathen 
land  ?  Who  determined  whether  you  should  have  the  environment 
of  godly  parentage  and  Christian  influences  or  be  influenced  by  an 
ungodly  atmosphere?  Who  influenced  the  Holy  Ghost  to  re- 
generate your  soul  by  a  new  birth  or  else  to  leave  you  to  the  con- 
sequences of  sin?  Whose  divine  grace  has  transformed  your  life? 
Yet  notwithstanding  these  gracious,  determining  influences,  com- 
pelling you  to  say,  "By  the  grace  of  God  I  am  what  I  am,"  you 
know  absolutely  in  your  experience  there  was  no  power  that  forced 
your  will,  and  that  you  were  perfectly  free  in  all  your  actions. 
From  the  human  standpoint  each  man  acts  according  to  his  im- 
pulses and  motives,  utterly  regardless  of  any  influence  emanating 
from  his  knowledge  of  God's  plans  or  purposes.  Predestination, 
however,  is  not  the  guide  of  life.  It  is  the  secret  purpose  of  God. 
Man  acts  by  faith  and  "works  out  his  own  salvation"  as  volun- 
tarily as  if  nothing  had  been  revealed  of  God's  decrees.  By  the 
use  of  the  means  of  grace  he  "makes  his  calling  and  election  sure," 
and  only  as  he  responds  to  the  demands  upon  him  for  a  holy  life 
can  he  assure  and  comfort  himself  that  his  name  is  in  the  Lamb's 
Book  of  Life  among  the  elect. 

54 


3.    Influence  On  Moral  Character. 

It  is  objected  that  Calvinism  destroys  moral  character  and  all 
inducements  to  holiness.  The  objection  is  contrary  to  the  express 
statements  of  Scripture  and  to  the  facts  as  revealed  in  religious 
experience  and  evidenced  by  the  observations  of  men.  Scripture 
is  very  explicit  in  affirming  that  the  subjects  of  divine  grace  are 
"predestinated  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son,  that  He 
might  be  the  first  born  among  many  brethren."  "According  as  He 
hath  chosen  us  in  Him  before  the  foundation  of  the  world  that 
we  should  be  holy  and  without  blame  before  Him  in  love,  having 
predestinated  us  into  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ  to 
Himself."  "For  we  are  His  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus 
unto  good  works,  which  God  hath  before  ordained  that  we  should 
walk  in  them."  According  to  the  inspired  Word,  therefore,  not 
only  destiny  but  character  is  also  the  object  of  God's  decrees. 

License  to  sin  in  view  of  fore-ordination  would  turn  the  grace 
of  God  into  lasciviousness,  "prostitute"  the  heavenly  calling  and 
disobey  the  injunction  to  "walk  worthy  of  your  vocation."  For- 
tunately this  test  of  character  can  be  safely  subjected  to  the 
judgments  of  men.  An  Arminian  Bishop  on  a  railway  train  to  a 
small  circle  of  hearers  was  denouncing  Calvinism  as  heretical  in 
theology  and  evil  in  results.  A  young  Presbyterian  elder  listening 
to  this  stereotyped  attack  upon  Calvinism  could  resist  no  longer 
and  modestly  inquired :  "What  is  your  opinion  of  the  character  of 
the  Presbyterian  people?"  Suddenly  thrown  on  the  defensive  the 
self-complacent  Bishop  answered :  "I  admit  there  are  no  finer 
body  of  Christian  people  in  the  world  than  the  Presbyterians; 
but  as  a  matter  of  fact  they  are  better  than  their  creed."  Tq 
which  the  modest  young  elder  replied :  "I  do  not  so  understand 
the  teachings  of  Christ  who  declared,  *A  good  tree  cannot  bring 
forth  evil  fruit,  neither  can  a  corrupt  tree  bring  forth  good  frtiit 
.  .  .  wherefore  by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them.'  If  Calvinism 
is  evil  how  can  it  bear  such  splendid  fruit?"  The  argument  is 
unanswerable.  Every  creed  in  the  world  "brings  forth  fruit  after 
its  kind."  The  saying  of  Christ,  that  "Wisdom  is  justified  of  her 
children"  has  never  been  contradicted. 

55 


The  character  of  Presbyterians  is  the  best  answer  which  can 
be  given  to  the  charge  of  immorality  as  to  the  tendency  of  Cal- 
vinism. Jas.  Anthony  Froude  and  other  scholars  and  writers 
have  borne  willing  and  unmistakable  testimony  to  the  character  of 
the  Scotch  Covenanters,  English  Puritans,  French  Huguenots, 
Dutch  Calvinists  and  Italian  Waldensees — Calvinists  all.  All 
faiths,  creeds  and  sects  are  unhesitatingly  challenged  to  duplicate 
these  products  of  Calvinism  in  Christian  character,  in  moral 
courage,  in  good  works,  in  missionary  operations — by  any  test  or 
standard  of  living,  chosen  in  any  sphere  of  action. 

4.    Calvinism  Vindicates  the  Justice  of  God. 

The  objection  that  election  is  a  reflection  on  God's  justice  re- 
quires no  answer  and  the  divine  character  needs  no  vindication. 
The  Ninth  Chapter  of  Romans  is  an  inspired  answer,  which  by 
hundreds  of  years  anticipated  and  demolished  the  objection.  Cal- 
vinism stands  alike  for  the  defense  of  the  truth  and  of  the  character 
of  God,  but  is  not  careful  to  answer  any  assault  on  the  Word  or 
on  the  justice  of  God.  It  speaks  when  the  Word  speaks  and  is 
silent  when  it  is  silent,  with  no  inclination  to  be  "wise  above  that 
which  is  written."  With  John  Milton  it  is  content  to  "assert 
eternal  providence  and  justify  the  ways  of  God  to  men." 

An  objector  once  went  to  Charles  Spurgeon  with  the  question: 
"If  I  am  not  one  of  the  elect  and  I  earnestly  desire  salvation,  is 
there  any  hope  for  me?"  To  which  Mr.  Spurgeon  made  the 
unanswerable  reply:  "If  you  earnestly  desire  salvation  enough  to 
seek  God's  mercy,  it  is  the  unmistakable  evidence  of  your  calling 
and  election.  If  you  do  not  desire  it,  why  should  you  cavil  at  God's 
not  giving  you  that  which  you  do  not  want?" 

No  objector  would  be  so  bold  as  to  claim  that  God  is  under  any 
obligation  to  save  any  of  the  lost.  If  under  no  obligation  to 
extend  mercy  to  any,  then  no  injustice  is  done,  if  some  or  all  are 
left  to  the  consequences  of  their  own  sin.  Was  any  injustice  done 
to  the  fallen  angels  because  God  in  his  Sovereign  grace  passed 
them  by  and  provided  salvation  for  lost  men?  No  injustice  is 
practiced  by  a  creditor  exercising  clemency  to  some  debtor  and 
exacting  full  payment  from  others.     Human  governments  pro- 

56 


vide  that  a  chief  magistrate  may  according  to  his  judgment, 
exercise  clemency  in  behalf  of  some  criminals  and  leave  others  to 
the  consequences  of  their  deeds.  If  such  discrimination  is  lodged 
in  the  hands  of  fallible  human  rulers,  shall  we  limit  the  preroga- 
tive of  the  Almighty?  Calvinists  so  exalt  the  divine  character  as 
to  justify  them  in  meeting  any  objection  with  the  challenge : 
"Shall  not  the  judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right?"  If  others  conjure 
up  difficulties,  let  them  take  these  to  the  revealed  Word  of  God  as 
the  arbiter  of  controversies,  or  on  their  knees  to  God  himself,  and 
their  difficulties  will  either  vanish  or  else  their  faith  so  strengthened 
as  to  commit  themselves  and  their  burden  to  the  God  who  is  "in- 
finite, eternal  and  unchangeable  in  his  being,  wisdom,  power,  holi- 
ness, justice,  goodness  and  truth." 

Why  Calvinism  Revealed. 

The  query  is  sometimes  raised :  If  predestination  is  not  the 
guide  of  life,  why  should  the  Word  of  God  challenge  faith  to 
wrestle  with  these  "deep  things  of  God?"  Many  considerations 
might  be  argued ;  a  few  must  suffice.  It  is  one  of  the  strongest 
evidences  of  the  truth  of  the  Word.  If  it  had  been  a  human 
composition  it  would  have  sedulously  avoided  Calvinism  which  is 
contrary  to  the  thoughts  and  impulses  of  human  nature.  Cal- 
vinism is  a  divine  revelation.  It  transcends  human  conceptions. 
Calvinism  takes  all  the  pride  out  of  men.  It  exalts  God  and  places 
man  in  the  dust  of  humility.  It  confronts  him  with  the  truth 
that  he  is  lost  by  his  own  act  but  saved  by  grace.  "Not  of  works 
lest  any  man  should  boast."  Calvinism  allows  the  sinner  no  part 
nor  credit  in  his  own  salvation  but  magnifies  the  grace  of  God  not 
only  as  manifest  in  his  experiences,  but  as  according  to  the  eternal 
purpose  of  mercy.  Others  may  claim  some  credit  for  choosing  or 
some  merit  for  persevering,  but  Calvinists,  of  all  others,  will  in 
heaven  cast  their  crowns  at  His  feet  in  unspeakable  gratitude  and 
adoring  love,  saying :  "Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us,  but  unto 
thy  name  be  the  honor  and  the  glory."  To  them  heaven  as  the 
gift  of  God's  free  grace  will  be  sweeter  and  the  Saviour  who 
loved  and  chose  them  "from  the  foundation  of  the  world"  will  be 
more  precious  throughout  the  endless  ages  of  eternity. 

57 


CHAPTER  IV. 

^rerfjpteriani£;m  anb  Cfturcfj  ^olitp. 

The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  is  the  first  chapter  of  the  history  of  the 
Church  under  the  Christian  dispensation.  Although  not  specially 
designed  to  teach  Church  Government,  yet  the  principles  and 
precedents  furnished  therein  by  apostolic  precepts  and  practices 
are  so  numerous  and  specific,  that  it  alone  would  be  sufficient  to 
reveal  the  constitution  of  the  Church,  if  there  were  access  to  no 
other  inspired  writings.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  voice 
of  inspiration  was  never  heard  after  the  first  century,  yet  the 
advocates  of  Prelacy  and  Congregationalism  appeal  alike  to  the 
testimony  of  the  post-apostolic  age  in  support  of  their  respective 
systems. 

The  Historical  Appeal  vs.  Scriptural. 

Mr.  Litton,  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  quoted  by  Bannerman  in 
his  "Church  of  Christ,"  makes  the  remarkable  statement  that  the 
claims  of  Episcopacy  are  strong  so  long  as  the  appeal  is  to  the 
post-apostolic  age,  and  become  weak  only  when  the  appeal  is  made 
to  Scripture.  Canon  Venables,  in  the  Encyclopedia  Briiannica, 
article  Episcopacy,  furnishes  the  following  still  more  explicit  tes- 
timony to  the  same  effect:  "It  may  be  desirable  here  to  remove 
the  confusion  which  may  be  produced  by  the  ambiguous  use  of 
the  word  'Bishop'  ...  In  its  fundamental  sense  of  an  'overseer,* 
'inspector,'  it  was  not  originally  a  term  of  office  at  all.  When  it 
appears  as  such  in  the  New  Testament,  it  is  simply  synonymous 
with  presbyter,  that  officer  of  the  church  being  called  indifferently 
by  one  or  the  other  name."  After  establishing  this  fact  by  the 
ordinary  Biblical  proofs,  thereby  indirectly  testifying  to  the 
scripturalness  of  Presbyterianism,  he  frankly  admits,  "Any  con- 
clusion, therefore,  drawn  from  the  use  of  the  term  bishop  in  the 
New  Testament,  as  to  the  existence  of  the  episcopal  office,  would 
be    fallacious", — claiming    for    Episcopacy    nothing    more    than 

58 


"traces  in  apostolic  times."  Concerning  its  divine  origin,  he 
speaks  unequivocally :  "Do  we  intend  that  Episcopacy  stands  on 
the  same  level  as  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  as  a  direct 
ordinance  of  Christ?  .  .  .  Though  asserted  as  an  unquestionable 
fact  by  many  learned  defenders  of  Episcopacy,  we  may  safely 
assert  that  there  is  not  a  trace  in  the  New  Testament." 

In  like  manner  Congregationalists  have  appealed  to  the  testi- 
mony of  Mosheim,  that  every  local  church  in  the  post-apostolic  age 
was  independent.  If  deemed  necessary,  Presbyterianism  might 
appeal  as  confidently  as  any  to  the  post-apostolic  age.  That  the 
government  of  the  church  was  essentially  Presbyterian  for  the  first 
century  and  part  of  the  second,  is  the  only  explanation  of  the 
conflicting  testimony  of  Church  historians ; — one  party  magnifying 
the  authority  of  Presbytery  in  the  post-apostolic  age  into  Epis- 
copacy, the  other  magnifying  the  liberty  of  Presbytery  into  Inde- 
pendency. 

The  Scriptural  Appeal. 

In  the  eflFort  to  establish  the  scriptural  character  of  the  Pres- 
byterian form  of  government  the  argument  will  be  based  on  the 
Council  at  Jerusalem,  recorded  in  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles.  The  principles  of  ecclesiastical  polity  therein 
contained  necessitate  certain  other  kindred  principles,  which,  taken 
together,  form  a  perfect  system,  and  being  tested  by  Scripture  for 
confirmation,  becomes  impregnable  against  every  assault. 

The  Church  is  indebted  for  this  Council  to  the  false  teachers  of 
circumcision.  Just  as  the  sneer  of  the  Jews,  "This  man  receiveth 
sinners,"  gave  to  the  church  and  the  world  the  beautiful  parable 
of  the  Prodigal  Son,  so  the  Church  is  indebted  for  the  Council  to 
the  heresy,  "Except  ye  be  circumcised  after  the  manner  of  Moses, 
ye  cannot  be  saved."  It  is  the  tendency  of  human  nature  in  every 
age  to  attach  great  value  to  external  ordinances  or  humanly  de- 
vised means.  "Except  ye  be  circumcised,"  is  but  a  tie  linking  the 
human  nature  of  the  apostolic  age  with  the  human  nature  of  the 
present,  which  is  still  making  similar  demands  for  carnal  ordi- 
nances :  Except  ye  be  immersed  according  to  our  mode,  ye  are  not 
baptized ;  except  ye  be  confirmed  by  a  bishop  in  the  line  of  aposto- 

59 


lie  succession,  ye  cannot  receive  the  Holy  Ghost;  except  ye  be 
absolved  by  a  priest,  or  anointed  with  extreme  unction,  "ye  cannot 
be  saved  !"  These  three  demands,  legitimate  successors  of  "Except 
ye  be  circumcised," — though  varying  in  degree,  and  only  the  last 
attaining  unequivocally  the  alternative  of  "ye  cannot  be 
saved," — yet  agree  in  one  thing,  virtually  unchurching  all  other 
communions  except  their  own,  and  thereby  casting  considerable 
doubt  on  the  prospects  of  others  entering  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
in  glory. 

Inordinate  stress  laid  upon  an  outward  ordinance  is  presumptive 
evidence  of  its  human  origin,  or  human  corruption  of  the  divine. 
Under  the  pressure  of  such  teaching,  the  Council  at  Jerusalem 
becomes  a  necessity  for  the  suppression  of  error  and  vindication 
of  truth.  It  is  immaterial  who  were  "they"  that  appointed  the 
delegation.  The  trouble  arose  at  Antioch:  a  delegation  from 
thence  obtained  audience  (Acts  15:12)  before  the  body  of 
apostles  and  elders,  who  came  together  for  the  express  purpose  of 
considering  the  matter  (Acts  15  :6).  A  debate  was  held  (verse  7)  ; 
a  decision  was  reached ;  and  the  decrees  were  published,  not  simply 
at  Antioch,  but  delivered  to  all  the  churches  to  keep  (Acts  16:4) 

This  Council,  Keystone  of  Church  Polity. 

This  Assembly  is  of  special  importance  because  it  is  the  key- 
stone in  any  system  of  Church  polity.  If  the  Prelatic  interpre- 
tation of  this  Council  be  destroyed,  the  Prelatic  system  of  infal- 
lible Councils  falls  with  it  to  the  ground.  Undermine  the  Con- 
gregational theory  and  there  is  no  warrant  for  any  voluntary  asso- 
ciation, giving  advice.  If  it  be  not  a  higher  court,  according  to 
Presbyterian  theory,  it.  would  be  difficult  to  exhibit  any  warrant 
for  a  higher  court  than  the  Presbytery  of  Antioch,  which  laid 
hands  on  Paul  and  Barnabas,  and  commissioned  them  to  the 
foreign  missionary  work,  or  the  Presbytery  at  Lystra  which 
ordained  Timothy. 

The  multitude  of  theories  which  have  prevailed  in  regard  to  the 
nature  of  this  Council  are  reducible  to  three,  according  to  the 
threefold  classification  of  Church  polity — Prelatic,  Congregational 
and  Presbyterian.    All  other  systems  are  but  variations,  modifica- 

60 


tions,  or  combinations  of  these  three  simple  elementary  forms. 
Consequently,  this  Council  at  Jerusalem  must  have  been : 

I.  Either  an  inspired  Council,  according  to  the  Prelatic  type ; 

II.  Or,  exactly  the  opposite,  only  a  voluntary  association  accord- 
ing to  the  Congregational  theory ; 

III.  Or,  else  something  intermediate  between  them,  a  repre- 
sentative Assembly  convened  as  a  higher  court,  to  hear  appeals, 
interpret  and  apply  the  law  of  Christ,  according  to  the  Presby- 
terian system.  Each  system,  to  a  certain  extent,  stands  or  falls 
with  the  above. 

I. 

The  Prelatic  Theory  Untenable. 

An  Inspired  Council  Superfluous. 

It  could  not  have  been  the  first,  because  inspiration  was  not 
needed  to  determine  a  case  which  had  already  been  determined, 
both  by  inspiration  and  the  providence  of  God,  admitting  the 
Gentiles  into  the  Church  without  circumcision.  If  inspiration  had 
been  needed,  there  was  no  necessity  to  search  for  the  mind  of  the 
Spirit  at  Jerusalem  among  the  apostles.  Was  there  not  an  apostle 
at  Antioch,  one  "not  a  whit  behind  the  very  chiefest,"  who  could 
have  given  an  inspired  utterance?  Being  himself  "the  Apostle  of 
the  Gentiles,"  was  he  not  possessed  of  the  mind  of  the  Spirit  touch- 
ing the  very  class  for  whose  sake  he  is  specially  called  to  be  an 
apostle?  There  could  have  been  no  necessity  for  a  college  of 
inspired  apostles,  unless  it  be  claimed  that  the  inspiration  of  a 
collective  body  is  more  authoritative  than  the  inspiration  of  an 
individual.  But  the  very  nature  of  inspiration  is  a  denial  of  the 
latter  assumption.  If  they  were  guided  by  human  wisdom,  then 
a  "multitude  of  counsellors"  might  be  required  for  "safety."  But 
from  the  very  nature  of  inspiration,  what  God  reveals  to  one 
man  is  as  authoritative  as  if  revealed  to  an  assembled  universe. 
The  authority  imparted  by  inspiration  consists  in  the  person 
speaking, — the  Holy  Ghost,— and  not  in  the  number  who  are  made 
the  medium  of  communication.  If  the  latter  statement  be 
erroneous,  then  the  inspiration  of  the  Epistles  of  Paul  and  all 

61 


Scripture  must  be  impugned,  because  uttered  through  the  medium 
of  single  individuals.  When  has  inspiration  ever  chosen  a  multi- 
tude to  become  the  vehicle  of  conveying  truth  ?  What  fundamental 
truth  of  the  inspired  word  was  revealed  by  a  college  of  apostles,  or 
by  any  other  multitude? 

The  very  method  of  procedure  is  a  denial  of  the  inspiration 
theory.  If  the  "apostles  and  elders"  coming  together  to  "con- 
sider the  matter,"  was  in  reality  in  order  to  consult  the  oracle  of 
inspiration,  there  could  have  been  no  disputing  and  no  difference 
of  opinion.  The  truth  would  have  been  revealed  simultaneously 
to  the  whole  assembly.  Or,  if  one  person  in  the  number  had 
been  made  the  vehicle  of  conveying  it  to  the  others,  no  sooner 
had  he  spoken,  than  there  would  have  been  universal  assent. 
The  very  opposite,  however,  were  the  facts  of  the  case.  It  was 
only  after  "much  disputing,"  consulting  the  word  of  God  in  the 
prophecies  concerning  the  Gentiles,  and  the  providence  of  God  in 
admitting  them  without  circumcision,  that  a  conclusion  was 
reached  in  accordance  with  the  mind  of  the  Spirit.  But,  does  not 
the  Council  claim  inspiration  in  that  expression,  "It  seemed  good 
to  the  Holy  Ghost  and  to  us"?  The  very  union  of  their  own 
names  with  that  of  the  Holy  Ghost  forbids  the  theory  of  in- 
spiration. 

What,  then,  must  be  understood  by  the  expression,  "It  seemed 
good  to  the  Holy  Ghost"?  In  other  words,  how  did  they  learn 
what  "seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost"  ?  Not  by  a  new  revelation 
of  the  Spirit,  but  manifestly  by  consulting  the  inspired  utterances 
of  prophecy  touching  the  Gentiles  (Acts  15:15-18),  interpreted 
by  the  providence  of  God  in  admitting  them  in  uncircumcision 
(Acts  15  :7-ll,  14).  '  The  record  shows  that  exactly  this  was  done 
and  nothing  more.  Why  demand  a  new  revelation,  when  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit  could  be  learned  by  one  ample  and  previously 
given?  It  was,  therefore,  by  searching  the  Scriptures  that  they 
discovered  what  "seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost."  If  they  had 
come  together  to  inquire  of  an  oracle,  and  "hear  what  God  the 
Lord  will  speak,"  they  would  have  published  the  decree  simply, 
*It  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost."  If  a  Church  court  cannot  be 
guided  to  conclusions  in  accordance  with  the  mind  of  the  Spirit 

G2 


except  by  inspiration,  then  the  opening  prayer  of  a  church  court, 
praying  for  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit,  becomes  a  mockery.  If, 
then,  it  cannot  be  claimed  that  this  was  an  inspired  Council, 
prelacy  must  look  elsewhere  in  search  of  a  model  and  warrant  for 
its  pretended  infallible  Councils,  and  for  authority  to  alter  the 
law  of  Christ  and  legislate  for  the  Church. 

11. 
Advisory  Council,  Inadequate. 

It  could  not  have  been,  according  to  the  second  theory,  simply 
a  voluntary  association  giving  advice,  considering  the  composition 
of  the  council,  the  authority  of  its  decrees,  and  the  extent  of  its 
jurisdiction. 

1.  We  join  issue  with  the  Congregationalists  squarely  upon  the 
composition  of  that  assembly.  Their  argument  is  based  upon  three 
expressions  in  the  record :  "the  multitude",  of  verse  12,  "with  the 
whole  Church,"  of  verse  22,  and  "brethren,"  of  verse  23.  It  seems 
almost  ludicrous  to  base  an  argument  on  verse  12,  "all  the  multi- 
tude kept  silence"!  Therefore,  because  "the  multitude"  were 
present  and  "kept  silence,"  they  are  entitled  to  become  a  constitu- 
ent part  of  every  church  court,  and  not  ''keep  silence"  !  In  sending 
up  the  case  from  Antioch  the  "brethren"  are  not  mentioned  as  a 
constituent  part  of  the  Council,  whose  decision  is  asked.  It  is 
simply  said  certain  "should  go  up  to  Jerusalem  unto  the  apostles 
and  elders  about  this  question."  In  giving  the  composition  of  the 
Assembly,  nothing  is  said  of  any  "brethren,"  but  simply  "the 
apostles  and  ciders  came  together  for  to  consider  of  this  matter." 
In  publishing  the  decrees  among  the  churches,  nothing  is  said  of 
any  "brethren"  having  participated  in  decreeing,  but  simply  "de- 
livered them  the  decrees  for  to  keep,  that  were  ordained  of  the 
apostles  and  elders.  Is  it  merely  accidental  that  these  two  classes, 
and  no  others,  are  said  to  have  been  consulted  by  Antioch,  to  have 
come  together  to  consider  and  to  have  ordained  the  decrees? 
Congregationalists  utterly  fail  to  discover  any  others  in  the  com- 
position of  that  assembly  than  "apostles  and  elders,''    "The  multi- 

63 


tude  kept  silence,"  "the  whole  Church"  simply  acquiesced  in  the 
action  of  the  assembly,  and  the  "brethren"  are  only  the  "apostles 
and  elders"  combined. 

2.  It  is  equally  easy  to  overthrow  the  voluntary  association  theo- 
ry by  an  examination  of  the  authority  of  the  decrees.  The  lan- 
guage is  too  emphatic  and  unmistakable  to  be  regarded  as  the 
language  of  advice.  Advice  may  be  offered,  but  has  never  yet 
been  offered,  in  such  terms  as,  "It  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  to  us  to  lay  upon  you  no  greater  burden  than  these  necessary 
things/*  Unless  human  language  meant  then  exactly  the  opposite 
of  its  present  meaning,  advice  offered  and  decrees  ordained  must 
be  regarded  as  contradictory.  Advice  may  be  submitted  for  con- 
sideration, but  never  "delivered  for  to  keep."  "Lay  upon  you  no 
greater  burden,"  etc.,  and  "delivered  them  the  decrees  for  to  keep, 
that  were  ordained  of  apostles  and  elders  which  were  at  Jerusa- 
lem," is  the  language  of  authority. 

3.  Still  another  feature  of  this  Council  is  not  in  keeping  with  the 
Congregational  independent  theory.  Does  the  decision  affect 
Antioch  simply?  By  no  means.  Instead  of  being  published  at 
Antioch  simply,  they  are  published  with  authority  throughout 
Christendom  (Acts  16:4).  Recognizing  no  frigid  isolated  inde- 
pendency, but,  on  the  contrary,  acting  on  the  principle  of  the  unity 
of  the  Church — ^that  what  is  binding  on  one  is  equally  binding  on 
all — the  decrees  are  delivered  to  all  the  churches  to  keep.  The 
decision  of  the  Council  affected  every  church  as  truly  as  Antioch. 
Considering  the  composition  of  the  body,  the  authority  of  its  de- 
crees, and  the  far-reaching  sweep  of  its  jurisdiction,  it  could  not 
have  been  a  voluntary  association.  Congregationalism,  therefore, 
must  look  elsewhere  for  authority  to  enact  the  grand  farce  of 
giving  advice. 

III. 

Representative  Assembly. 

If  neither  the  first  nor  the  second  theory  can  be  accepted,  let  us 
view  this  Council  as  a  Representative  Assembly,  according  to  the 
system  of  Presbyterianism.  This  follows  from  the  nature  of  the 
destructive  conditional  syllogism.    If  truth  lies  between  the  three, 

64 


to  disprove  two  is  equivalent  to  the  establishment  of  the  third.  It 
may  be  further  demonstrated  from  the  composition,  "apostles  and 
elders,"  the  former  being  teaching  elders,  and  the  latter,  at  least 
including  ruling  elders,  exactly  the  composition  of  every  Scriptural 
court  in  its  normal  condition.  Arguments  might  be  adduced  from 
the  object  of  the  Assembly,  "came  together  for  to  consider  of  this 
matter,"  which  was  a  case  of  appeal  or  reference;  from  the 
method  of  procedure, — the  decision  being  reached  by  consulting  the 
Word  of  God  as  the  sole  authority ;  from  the  authority  of  its  decis- 
ions, "decrees,"  "ordained,"  "delivered  them  the  decrees  for  to 
keep,"  and  laid  upon  them  as  a  "necessary"  "burden";  from  its 
jurisdiction, — acting  not  simply  for  Antioch,  but  for  all  the 
churches ;  from  the  harmony  of  this  theory  with  the  whole  system 
of  Presbyterianism ;  and  from  the  universal  support  of  the  prin- 
ciples embodied  in  this  Council  by  Scripture,  ranging  through  the 
whole  Bible. 

Principles  of  Church  Polity. 

Attention  is  directed  next  to  the  principles  of  Church  polity  ex- 
hibited by  this  Council,  confirmed  by  an  appeal  to  other  Scriptures, 
— serving  to  completely  establish  the  Presbyterian  theory  of  the 
Council. 

Government  by  Rulers. 

1.  Contrary  to  Congregationalism,  this  Council  exhibits  the 
government  of  the  Church  in  the  hands  of  rulers,  and  not  in  the 
hands  of  a  mixed  multitude  of  men,  women,  and  children, 
where  passion  and  prejudice  sway  alternate  scepters.  But  instead 
of  such  confusion,  this  Council  exhibits  the  ''apostles  and  elders" 
in  the  very  act  of  ruling,  considering  and  deciding  a  precedent, 
— involving  principles  affecting  all  the  churches.  It  exhibits  all  the 
churches  in  the  attitude  of  recognizing  the  authority  of  their 
rulers  in  the  meekness  of  submission  and  the  alacrity  of  obedience. 
This  principle  of  rule  exhibited,  tested  by  Scripture,  is  abundantly 
sustained  as  follows: 

(1)  The  names  by  which  the  officers  of  the  Church  are  called 
are  the  very  symbols  of  rule,  the  badges  of  authority.  The  elders 
were  the  "rulers  of  the  synagogue,"  and,  according  to  Neander  and 

66 


others,  were  "  transferred  to  the  Christian  church  from  the  Jewish 
synagogue."  In  the  New  Testament,  wherever  "presbyters" 
occurs,  only  the  connection  can  determine  whether  it  relates  to 
elders  of  the  synagogue  or  of  the  church.  The  office  and  the  name 
change  places  from  synagogue  to  church,  but  retain  the  same  rela- 
tive significance.  Interchangeable  with  presbyters  is  used  bishops 
(Acts  20:17,  28),  by  which  the  same  officers  were  called  among 
the  Gentiles.  Concerning  the  latter,  Neander  remarks:  "The 
appellation,  bishops — overseers — over  the  whole  Church  and  over 
all  its  affairs ;  just  as  in  the  Attic  civil  administration,  those  who 
were  sent  out  to  organize  the  states  dependent  on  Athens  were 
called  bishops ;  and  just  as  this  name  seems  to  have  become  gener- 
ally current  in  the  language  of  civil  life  to  denote  any  kind  of  gov- 
erning superintendence  in  the  public  administration"  (Neander*s 
Ch.  Hist.,  Vol.  I.  Page  184). 

(2)  Scriptural  distinctions  imply  two  classes,  the  rulers  and  the 
ruled.  "He  that  ruleth  with  diligence,"  etc.  (Rom.  12:8).  "Gov- 
ernments" (1  Cor.  12:28).  "Ruleth"  and  "governments"  are 
terms  which  demand  the  corresponding  terms  "ruled"  and  "gov- 
ernors," or  else  they  are  unmeaning  and  misleading. 

(3)  The  direction  to  rulers,  how  to  rule,  imply  two  classes. 
"The  elders  which  are  among  you,  I  exhort  ,  .  .  Feed  the 
flock  of  God  which  is  among  you,  taking  the  oversight  thereof 
not  by  constraint,  but  willingly;  not  for  filthy  lucre,  but  of  a 
ready  mind :  neither  as  being  lords  over  God's  heritage,"  etc. 
(I  Peter  5:1-3).  "Elders  that  rule  well,"  etc.  (I  Tim.  5:17). 
''Take  heed,  therefore  to  yourselves  and  to  all  the  flock, 
over  the  which  the  Holy  Ghost  has  made  you  overseers," 
etc.  (Acts:  20:28).  These  directions  are  not  addressed  to  the 
whole  church,  forbidding  the  majority  from  ''lording"  it  over  the 
minority,  which  would  have  been  the  case  and  the  danger  if  all 
shared  in  ruling,  but  they  are  addressed  to  the  elders.  They  are 
unmeaning,  if  there  are  no  rulers,  and  unnecessary,  if  there  are 
none  ruled. 

(4)  The  instructions  to  the  ruled,  concerning  their  attitude 
toward  their  rulers,  imply  such  distinction.  "Know  them  which 
labor  among  you  and  are  over  you  in  the  Lord,"  etc.  (1  Thess. 

66 


5:12).  "Remember  them  which  have  the  rule  over  you,"  etc. 
(Heb.  13:7).  "Obey  them  that  have  the  rule  over  you,  and  sub- 
mit yourselves,"  etc.  (Heb.  13:17).  The  very  word  employed 
to  express  the  ruling  authority  of  the  elders  is  the  same  denoting 
parental  government  of  children.  One  of  the  very  qualifications 
of  rulers  in  the  Church  is  experience  in  ruling  in  their  family, 
"One  that  ruleth  well  his  own  house,  having  his  children  in  sub- 
jection with  all  gravity.  For  if  a  man  know  not  how  to  rule  his 
own  house,  how  shall  he  take  care  of  the  church  of  God?" 
(I  Tim.  3:4,  5).  Such  exhortations  are  inexplicable,  if  no  such 
distinctions  exist. 

(5)  The  plurality  of  officers  in  every  church  cannot  be  ex- 
plained on  any  other  supposition  than  as  rulers.  "Ordained  them 
elders  in  every  church,"  etc.  (Acts  14:23).  "Ordain  elders  in 
every  city,"  etc.  (Titus  1:5).  "To  all  the  saints  in  Christ  Jesus, 
which  are  at  Philippi  with  the  bishops  and  deacons"  (Phil.  1 :1). 
"Know  them  (plural)  which  labor  among  you  and  are  over  you 
in  the  Lord,"  etc.  (1  Thess.  5:12).  "Obey  them''  (plural) 
(Heb.  13  :17).  Elders  of  the  church,  etc.  (James  5  :14).  Accord- 
ing to  the  Congregational  theory  and  practice,  but  one  elder  is 
needed  in  each  church.  The  government  of  the  church  by  rulers, 
exhibited  by  this  Council,  and  supported  by  these  five  separate 
scriptural  arguments,  becomes  an  established  principle  of  Church 
polity  and  invincible  against  every  assault. 

The  Eldership. 

(2)  Contrary  to  Prelacy,  this  Council  exhibits  the  government 
of  the  Church  in  the  hands,  not  of  one  man  as  pope,  prelate  or 
archbishop,  nor  of  apostles  simply  or  apostolic  successors  (so- 
called)  as  dioceasan  bishops;  nor  of  preachers  simply,  apostles 
and  preaching  elders  as  in  a  conference  of  bishops,  presiding 
elders,  preaching  elders,  and  preaching  deacons ;  but  in  the  hands 
of  two  classes  of  elders,  teaching  elders  and  ruling  elders.  In 
order  to  demonstrate  this  fact  it  becomes  necessary  to  examine 
the  two  classes  who  are  six  times  mentioned  in  connection  with 
this  Council,  and  five  of  the  times  at  least  as  composing  it. 

(1)   The  "apostles"  were  present  simply  as  "elders,"  combining 

67 


in  themselves  the  elements  both  of  the  teaching  and  ruling  elder- 
ship. The  proof  is  three-fold:  (a)  The  fact  of  their  eldership 
is  indisputable,  for  they  call  themselves  "elders."  'The  elders, 
which  are  among  you,  I  exhort,  who  am  also  an  elder  (I  Peter 
5  :1).  "The  elder  unto  the  elect  lady  and  her  children"  (II  John 
1).  "The  elder  unto  the  well-beloved  Gaius"  (III  John  1). 
(b)  They  are  not  engaged  in  this  Council  in  exercising  their 
function  of  "apostles,"  but  are  in  the  very  act  of  ruling.  There- 
fore it  was  the  ruling  function  of  their  office  which  was  then  being 
exercised.  The  conclusion  seems  inevitable,  that  because  they 
are  both  teaching  and  ruling  elders,  and  are  engaged  in  the  very 
act  of  ruling;  therefore,  they  were  present  in  that  capacity,  (c) 
The  conclusion  becomes  irresistible,  when  it  is  further  remembered 
that  they  did  not  exercise  their  inspired  apostolic  authority,  or 
perform  any  act  which  had  the  appearance  of  exercising  the 
extraordinary  authority  which  belonged  to  the  apostles 
exclusively. 

(2)  The  "elders"  present  in  the  Council  were  either  ruling 
elders  simply,  or  included  some  of  both  classes,  some  who  were 
simply  ruling  elders,  and  some  who  were  both  teaching  and  ruling 
elders.  It  is  utterly  impossible  to  determine  between  the  two 
alternatives,  and  it  is  quite  as  immaterial,  it  being  necessary  only 
to  show  that  the  ruling  elder  simply  was  present  in  that  capacity, 
(a)  The  name  presbyters  has  special  reference  to  ruling.  The 
presbyters  of  the  synagogue  were  the  "rulers  of  the  synagogue," 
while  the  scribes,  rabbis,,  and  priests  were  the  spiritual  teachers. 
(Geikie's  Life  of  Christ,  Vol.  II,  P.  623).  (b)  The  plurality 
in  every  church  cannot  be  explained,  unless  they  are  ruling  elders. 
The  previous  chapter  announced  they  "ordained  them  elders  in 
every  church"  (Acts  14:23),  which  must  have  had  special  refer- 
ence to  ruling  elders ;  the  same  term  being  employed  in  the  follow- 
ing chapter,  without  any  indication  of  its  being  used  to  desig- 
nate a  different  class,  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  the  elders  of  the 
previous  chapter  and  of  this  Council  were  identical,  (c)  The 
distinctions  between  them  are  proof  of  two  classes  of  elders.  "He 
that  teacheth,"  etc.  and  "he  that  ruleth,"  etc.  (Rom.  12:8), 
clearly    distinguish    between    them.      "Let    the   elders    that    rule 

68 


well  be  counted  worthy  of  double  honor,  especially  they  who 
labor  in  the  word  and  doctrine"  (1  Tim.  5:17),  recognizes  two 
classes  of  elders,  (d)  The  burden  of  rule  is  laid  upon  the  elders 
at  Ephesus  (Acts  20:  17,  28),  in  the  exhortation  of  Paul,  at  the 
very  time  when  Timothy  was  preacher  at  Ephesus  (1  Tim.  1:3). 
(e)  The  use  of  the  word  ^'presbytery''  is  further  evidence  of 
the  ruling  eldership.  Occuring  but  three  times  in  the  New 
Testament  (Luke  22:66;  Acts  22:5;  and  I  Tim.  4:14),  though 
translated  presbytery  but  once  (I  Tim.  4:14),  twice  it  refers  to 
a  Jewish  court  undoubtedly  composed  of  ruling  elders  simply 
(Luke  22:66,  and  Acts  22:5),  and  when  used  with  reference 
to  an  ecclesiastical  court  of  the  Christian  Church,  without  any 
indication  of  a  change  of  designation,  the  conclusion  is  irresisti- 
ble, that  it  must  have  contained  at  least  some  who  were  ruling 
elders  simply.  Having  then  shown  that  the  distinction  between 
the  two  classes  of  elders  existed,  the  fact  that  there  was  a  plu- 
rality at  Jerusalem  in  the  local  churches,  which  necessarily  in- 
cluded some  of  this  element,  is  proof  positive  that  the  presbyters 
of  the  Council  were  either  ruling  elders  simply,  or  included  some 
of  that  class;  and  therefore  the  government  of  the  Church  is  in 
the  hands  of  the  "elders/* 

Equality  o£  the  Eldership. 

3.  Contrary  to  both  Prelacy  and  Congregationalism,  this 
Council  at  Jerusalem  exhibited  the  parity  of  the  eldership.  Pres- 
byterianism  is  not  careful  to  demonstrate  the  parity  of  the  min- 
istry. If  the  parity  of  the  eldership  be  established,  the  other 
follows  as  a  necessity.  The  latter  is  not  peculiar  to  the  Presby- 
terian system,  whilst  the  former  is  one  of  its  most  distinctinve 
principles,  and  is  plainly  demonstrated  by  this  Council  in  several 
ways. 

(1)  In  sending  up  the  case  to  Jerusalem  for  a  decision,  no 
superior  apostolic,  prelatic,  or  ministerial  authority  is  recognized 
by  Antioch  higher  than  the  presbyterate.  It  nowhere  appears 
that  a  decision  is  asked  simply  of  the  apostles,  whilst  they  by 
courtesy  or  for  some  other  cause  associated  the  elders  with 
themselves.     But  the  very  opposite  appears,   that   Antioch   ac- 

69 


knowledged  no  superiority  of  apostolic  authority  whatever.  The 
record  simply  states  that  certain  "should  go  up  to  Jerusalem 
unto  the  apostles  and  elders  about  this  question."  Why  not  go 
simply  to  the  apostles?  Why  are  the  elders  associated  with  the 
apostles  in  the  appeal?  Did  not  Antioch  appeal  to  elders  as  well 
as  apostles  ?  Did  they  not  appeal  to  both  upon  precisely  the  same 
equality?  Is  there  the  shadow  of  authority  for  supposing  that 
they  made  any  distinction  between  the  two  classes  in  asking  a 
decision  of  apostles  and  elders? 

(2)  In  their  coming  together,  is  any  distinction  made  between 
them?  Can  any  discover  from  the  record,  that  the  apostles  came 
armed  with  more  authority  than  the  elders?  The  narrative 
simply  states  that  the  "apostles  and  elders  came  together  for  to 
consider  of  this  matter."  Did  the  apostles  come  to  consider  and 
act,  whilst  the  elders  came  to  be  spectators?  If  our  judgment 
must  be  formed  solely  from  the  inspired  record,  there  is  no 
alternative  but  to  acknowledge  the  manifest  fact,  that  they  came 
together  upon  equal  authority, 

(3)  During  the  session  of  the  Council  did  any  apostle  or  the 
whole  number  at  any  time  by  any  word  or  act  claim  any  more 
authority  than  the  elders?  Did  any  apostle  assume  any  more 
authority?  Did  any  apostle  exercise  any  more  authority  than 
the  elders?  What  evidence  is  there  that  the  body  recognized 
the  superiority  of  either  class?  So  far  as  the  record  goes,  each 
class  considered  the  other  as  peers. 

(4)  In  publishing  their  decrees,  did  the  apostles  send  them 
forth  in  their  own  name  as  their  act  and  by  their  authority? 
On  the  contrary,  associating  the  elders  with  themselves,  and 
causing  it  to  read,  "apostles  and  elders,  brethren,"  they  ac- 
knowledged the  parity  of  the  eldership  by  issuing  the  decrees 
in  their  united  names  as  by  equal  authority,  wiping  out  even 
the  distinction  of  names,  and  gathering  both  into  one  class  of 
"brethren,"  exhibit  the  opposite  spirit  of  those  claiming  superi- 
ority over  their  "brethren  in  the  Lord." 

(5)  In  delivering  the  decrees  to  the  various  churches  scat- 
tered throughout  Christendom,  did  they  lay  them  upon  the 
churches  as  ordained  by  apostolic  authority?     Did  they  recog- 

70 


nize  any  difference  between  the  two  classes  constituting  the  Coun- 
cil ?  On  the  contrary,  it  is  the  positive  statement  of  the  Scripture, 
that  the  decrees  were  "ordained  of  the  apostles  and  elders," — 
equal  authority  being  accorded  to  the  elders  as  to  the  apostles. 
Considering  these  five  facts,  which  could  not  have  been  merely 
fortuitous,  that  Antioch  appealed  to  ''apostles  and  elders"  as 
upon  equality,  that  ^'apostles  and  elders  came  together,  as 
upon  equal  authority,  that  they  acted  together,  as  upon  equal 
authority,  that  they  issued  their  decrees  in  their  united  names 
as  by  equal  authority,  that  the  decrees  were  delivered  and 
received  by  the  churches  as  "ordained  of  the  apostles  and  elders" 
in  equal  authority,  the  conclusion  necessitating  the  parity  of  the 
eldetrship  is  irresistible. 

Unity  of  the  Church. 

4.  Contrary  to  Congregationalism  this  Council  exhibits  the 
unity  of  the  Church.  If  not  upon  the  principle  of  unity  of  the 
Church,  then  upon  what  principle  does  a  Church  Council  con- 
vened at  Jerusalem  decide  a  matter  affecting  Antioch  simply? 
If  it  were  a  local  matter,  why  should  any  other  place  than  Antioch 
be  the  scene  of  the  conflict?  Jerusalem  was  not  troubled  by  the 
matter,  but  Antioch  was.  If  an  effectual  settlement  of  the  matter 
as  is  alleged,  had  determined  the  place,  then  Antioch  would 
certainly  have  been .  the  place.  That,  however,  is  a  matter  of 
little  importance,  compared  with  another  feature  of  this  Council 
demonstrating  the  Church's  essential  unity.  It  is  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Council,  which  the  Congregationalists  cannot  explain 
upon  any  other  theory  than  the  underlying  principle  of  unity. 
Did  they  publish  the  decrees  simply  at  Antioch?  "As  they  went 
through  the  cities  they  delivered  them  the  decrees  for  to  keep," 
etc.  (Acts  16:4).  They  are  no  more  binding  on  Antioch  than 
on  Christendom!  If  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Council  extended 
to  all  the  churches,  upon  what  principle  other  that  the  unity  of 
the  Church?  Tested  by  Scripture,  which  is  the  interpreter  of 
Scripture,  the  Church's  unity  is  still  more  manifest 

(1)  The  use  of  "Church"  in  the  singular,  comprehending  the 
whole,  manifests  its  corporate  unity.    Such  unmistakable  evidence 

71 


is  borne  by  one  passage  in  the  Revised  Testament,  that  it  alone 
would  be  sufficient  to  establish  the  fact.  "So  the  Church  through- 
out all  Judea  and  Gallilee  and  Samaria  had  peace  being  edified," 
etc.  (Acts  9:31  Revised  Version). 

The  twelfth  chapter  of  1st  Corinthians  is  an  elaborate  argument 

to  demonstrate  the  unity  of  the  Church,  which  has  the  advantage 
over  every  other  argument,  that  it  is  inspired ;  but  if  the  Church's 
unity  be  denied,  that  argument  becomes  a  mystery.  Arguing  the 
fact  from  all  having  the  same  spirit,  illustrating  it  by  the  unity 
of  the  human  body,  it  closes  vnth  the  assertion,  "Now  ye  are  the 
body  of  Christ  and  members  in  particular.  And  God  hath  set 
some  in  the  Church  first  apostles,  secondarily  prophets,  thirdly 
teachers,  after  that  miracles,  then  gift:^  of  healing,  helps,  govern- 
ments, diversity  of  tongues,"  etc.  (I  Cor.  12:17,  28).  If  it  be 
objected  that  this  language  applies  to  the  invisible  Church,  the 
reply  is,  that  the  invisible  Church,  as  such,  needs  no  "apostles," 
"prophets,"  "teachers,"  "miracles,"  "healings,"  "helps,"  "govern- 
ments," and  "diversity  of  tongues" ;  these  things  are  for  the  visi- 
ble Church.  If  to  this  it  be  objected  that  the  two  cannot  be  sepa- 
rated except  in  thought,  at  least  the  part  of  the  invisible  which 
is  still  in  the  visible,  that  would  necessitate  predicating  unity  of  the 
visible  as  well  as  invisible.  If  it  be  claimed  that  I  Cor.  12 :28  applies 
to  the  local  church  it  may  be  answered,  that  God  had  not  set 
"apostles,"  "prophets,"  etc.  in  the  local  church  of  Corinth. 

(2)  Such  figures  are  employed,  representing  the  unity  of  the 
Church,  that  they  become  unmeaning  when  that  principle  is  elimi- 
nated. Eph.  2:19-22  presents  the  Church  as  a  state,  a  family, 
and  a  temple;  but  a  temple  is  not  a  building  of  independent  dis- 
connected parts.  The  Church  is  the  body  of  Christ  (I  Cor. 
12:27).  But  though  every  organ,  muscle,  bone,  and  sinew  of 
the  body  were  collected  disconnected  in  a  mass,  they  would  not 
constitute  a  body.  The  Church  is  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  But 
a  kingdom  of  absolutely  independent  clans  or  provinces  would 
be  an  anomaly.  If  it  be  claimed  that  such  expressions,  "temple," 
"body,"  and  "kingdom,"  refer  to  the  invisible  Church,  then  the 
reply  is,  if  the  invisible  Church  has  essential  to  its  very  being 

72 


a  unity,  the  visible  Church  which  approaches  nearest  the  divine 
ideal  must  exhibit  visible  unity. 

To  the  support  of  the  latter  truth  may  be  adduced  the  testimony 
of  Dr.  Thornwell :  "The  relations  between  the  two  is  so  close, 
that  it  is  unwarrantable  to  predicate  unity  of  the  one  and  the 
want  of  unity  of  the  other.  The  visible  or  professing  Church 
approaches  perfection,  as  it  seeks  to  realize  the  invisible  or  spirit- 
ual. The  two  ought  to  coincide,  and  the  purity  of  the  outward 
is  determined  by  its  approximation  to  the  inward.  A  Church, 
therefore,  which  cannot  realize  a  visible  unity,  and  thus  aim  to 
coincide  with  the  invisible  Church,  is  sel f -condemned ;  and  any 
constitution  which  does  not  recognize  this  fact,  is  convicted  of 
being  unscriptural.  This  principle  of  the  unity  of  the  Church 
lies  at  the  foundation  of  the  Presbyterian  polity,  and  all  its  pecu- 
liarities are  designed  to  bring  this  out,  and  give  it  formal  expres- 
sion. It  is  singular  that  the  only  two  bodies  which  claim  to  real- 
ize this  unity  are  in  the  deadliest  antagonism — each  charging  the 
other  with  being  Antichrist.  They  are  the  Church  of  Rome  and 
the  Presbyterian  Church.  Rome  does,  in  a  certain  sense,  give 
unity  to  the  Church.  She  compacts  all  its  parts.  There  is  no 
stronger  outward  representation  of  unity  than  is  furnished  in 
her  system  of  government.  There  is,  however,  this  marked  dif- 
ference between  the  two  cases :  the  Church  of  Rome  undertakes 
to  exhibit  the  body  in  its  unity  with  an  earthly  head — to  exhibit 
Christ  as  well  as  his  members ;  the  Presbyterian  Church  exhibits 
in  visible  unity  on  earth  the  body  only,  and  connects  it  with  a 
heavenly  Head.  The  Bishop  of  Rome  claims  to  be  the  head  of 
the  Church.  He  alone  who  is  in  communion  with  him  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Church,  and  consequently  a  member  of  Christ.  Now, 
he  must  be  either  a  real  or  a  true  head,  or  a  symbolical  and  typical 
head.  If  the  former,  then  as  a  body  cannot  have  two  real  heads 
without  being  a  monster,  the  headship  of  Christ  is  displaced.  If 
the  latter,  then,  as  the  body  must  partake  of  the  nature  of  its 
head,  the  Church  is  destroyed"  (Thornwell's  Col.  W.,  Vol.  IV, 
Pages  135  and  136). 

In  regard  to  the  method  of  realizing  and  exhibiting  this  unity 
of  the  Church,  Dr.  Thornwell  affirms :     "That  unity  is  realized 


by  representative  assemblies.  The  government  of  the  Church  is  not 
entrusted  to  individuals,  nor  to  the  mass  of  believers,  but  to  Coun- 
cils. .  .  ,  These  constitute  a  bond,  which  brings  all  the  parts 
together  into  unity,  and  gives  the  Church  the  property  of  indefinite 
expansibility.  .  .  .  It  is  worthy  of  note  how  all  churches 
have  practically  acknowledged  the  representative  feature  of  Pres- 
byterianism.  Episcopacy,  for  example,  has  its  General  Con- 
ventions, in  which,  in  the  attempt  to  realize  unity,  the  parlia- 
mentary principle  is  grafted  upon  the  system.  Congregationalism 
has  its  Councils,  the  existence  of  which  is  a  tribute  to  the  import- 
ance of  the  representative  principles.  Even  the  Pope,  on  occasions 
of  great  emegency,  calls  Councils  to  decide  disputed  questions. 
We  are  but  carrying  out,  then,  a  principle,  the  practical  necessity 
of  which  is  recognized  by  all  Churches,  but  which  is  inherent 
in  the  very  nature  of  the  Presbyterian  system  alone."  (Thornweirs 
Col.  W,  Vol.  IV,  Pages  136,  137  and  138). 

The  Encyclopedia  Britannica  bears  similar  testimony  to  the 
completeness  of  the  Presbyterian  system  of  Councils.  "It  is  of 
course  in  the  Presbyterian  Churches  that  Councils  have  received 
their  most  systematic  development,  and  without  claiming  infalli- 
ble authority  retain  the  most  extended  powers  as  legislative,  ad- 
ministrative, and  judicial.  ...  In  non-Presbyterian  Churches, 
Synods  have  various  degrees. of  deliberate  or  decisive  authority." 
(Encyclopedia  Brit.,  ninth  ed.,  Vol.  VI,  Page  512).  If  it  be 
argued  that  the  Council  at  Jerusalem  could  not  have  exhibited  the 
unity  of  the  Church,  because  all  the  apostles  were  not  present, 
and  very  few  of  the  churches  are  supposed  to  have  been  repre- 
sented (perhaps  only  Antioch  and  those  in  and  near  Jerusalem), 
it  may  be  answered  that  a  quorum  of  a  court  as  truly  realizes 
unity  as  if  every  church  in  existence  were  represented  by  delegates. 

The  Right  of  Appeal. 

5.  Contrary  to  Congregationalism,  this  Council  exhibits  the 
right  of  appeal.  This  principle  is  inseparable  from  the  unity 
of  the  Church,  and  either  one  established  is  proof  of  the  other. 
If,  then,  the  unity  of  the  Church  has  been  established  by  Scripture, 
the  right  of  appeal   follows  as  a  necessary  principle,   and  Tnce 

74 


versa.  It  matters  not  what  may  be  the  difference  of  opinion  as 
to  the  nature  of  the  appeal  to  the  apostles  and  elders,  whether 
a  specific  case  was  carried  up,  or  a  decision  asked  as  to  the  princi- 
ple, the  evidence  still  remains  of  an  appeal,  complaint,  reference 
or  overture  of  some  nature.  The  record  is  too  plain  to  be 
"explained  away/'  The  heresy  existed  at  Antioch,  the  delegation 
was  appointed  to  lay  the  matter  before  the  apostles  and  elders, 
they  came  together  to  consider  the  matter,  the  delegation  was 
heard,  a  debate  occurred,  a  decision  was  rendered,  and  a  dele- 
gation appointed  to  publish  the  matter  at  Antioch.  These 
are  the  facts  furnished  by  the  inspired  narrative,  which 
may  be  variously  interpreted,  but  can  never  be  so  obscured  that 
the  multitude  of  Bible  readers  will  fail  to  recognize  the  fact  of 
some  kind  of  appeal,  furnishing  a  precedent,  according  the  right 
to  the  humblest  member  of  the  Church  to  be  heard  at  the  bar  of 
the  highest  tribunal  of  the  Church. 

Scripture  the  Sole  Authority. 

6.  Contrary  to  the  "Charybdis"  of  Prelacy  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  "Scylla"  of  Congregationalism  on  the  other,  this  Council 
exhibits  the  word  of  God  as  the  sole  basis  of  any  ecclesiastical 
deliverance..  The  apostles  and  elders  were  governed  by  no  tra- 
ditions on  the  one  hand,  nor  human  wisdom  and  expediency  on 
the  other.  They  dared  not  attempt  to  legislate,  in  the  sense  of 
making  law,  for  the  Church  of  Christ.  That  would  have  been  to 
usurp  the  authority  of  Christ,  who  alone  is  the  Church's  Law- 
giver. Nothing  lay  within  the  province  of  that  Council  but  to 
consult  the  written  law,  the  revealed  will  of  Christ,  and  apply 
the  principles  therein  contained  to  the  question  under  considera- 
tion. But  they  certainly  acted  as  if  it  was  their  province  to  inter- 
pret, apply,  and  enforce  Christ's  law.  Synods  and  Councils  may 
not  think  to  change  the  law  of  Christ,  or  legislate  for  the  Church, 
but  there  must  be  some  authoritative  court  to  apply  the  principles 
of  that  law  to  each  particular  case.  Whilst  not  interfering  with 
the  right  of  private  judgment,  yet  ecclesiastical  Councils  may 
not  permit  licentiousness  in  word  or  deed.  The  only  safety  for 
church   courts   between   ecclesiastical   tyranny   and   eccelsiastical 

75 


licensing  of  wickedness  is  speaking  where  the  Word  of  God  speaks, 
and  being  silent  when  it  is  silent.  Christ,  who  has  given  law  to 
the  Church,  has  also  given  authority  to  the  rulers,  assembled  in 
the  courts  of  His  house,  to  enforce  that  law.  Liberty  of  con- 
science and  dissent  of  judgment  are  possible  only  where  Synods 
and  Councils  have  erred  by  violating  the  law  of  Christ.  As  that 
Council  at  Jerusalem  inquired  the  mind  of  the  Spirit  by  appeal 
to  the  Scriptures,  so  no  church  court  can  ordain,  forbid,  or  enjoin 
anything  whatever,  unless  it  can  exhibit  as  its  warrant,  "Thus 
saith  the  Lord,"  or  an  inference  therefrom  both  good  and  neces- 
sary. 

This  Council  at  Jerusalem  answers  the  question  how  the  Church 
can  obtain  the  mind  of  the  Spirit  after  revelation  has  ceased  to 
guide  unerringly.  It  furnishes  a  model  and  warrant  for  the 
Church  in  like  circumstances.  It  is  a  precedent  which  should 
guide  every  church  court  in  all  its  deliverances.  The  Ariadne 
clue,  which  alone  is  sufficient  to  guide  the  Church  safely  through 
all  its  labyrinths  of  difficulties  and  mazes  of  doubt,  is  prayerful 
dependence  on  the  Spirit  to  discover  in  the  written  Word  what 
"seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost."  Only  when  that  which  "seemed 
good  to  the  Holy  Ghost"  also  seems  good  to  the  Church,  is  there 
safe  ecclesiastical  action.  Any  church  court,  acting  by  virtue  of 
a  divine  constitution,  guided  entirely  by  the  precepts  of  Christ, 
and  depending  on  the  influence  of  the  Spirit,  can  use  the  language 
of  the  Council,  "It  seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost  and  to  us." 
These  principles  exhibited  by  the  Council  at  Jerusalem  are  also 
the  principles  of  the  Presbyterian  system,  and  the  principles 
which  everywhere  are  sustained  by  the  Word  of  God, 


76 


CHAPTER  V. 

l^ttibptmani^m  anb  tiie  ^atvamtnt^. 

THE  LORD'S  SUPPER. 

In  the  order  of  time  the  sacrament  of  Baptism  is  administered 
to  a  believer  previous  to  his  participation  in  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  and  it  is,  therefore,  ordinarily  considered  first  in 
any  treatment  of  the  subject.  In  the  order  of  nature,  however, 
the  case  is  reversed.  The  Lord's  Supper  pertains  to  the  atoning 
work  of  Christ.  Baptism  represents  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  application  of  redemption  in  the  sphere  of  Chiristian  ex- 
perience. For  this  reason  this  treatise  will  discuss  them  in  the 
natural  order. 

The  Identity  of  the  Church. 

Presbyterianism  is  unique  in  one  respect  at  least.  It  alone 
insists  on  the  unity  and  identity  of  the  Church  in  all  ages  and 
under  all  dispensations.  It  maintains  that  the  Church  of  the 
Patriarchal,  Jewish  and  Christian  Dispensations  is  one  and  the 
same;  and  the  Presbyterian  Church  identifies  itself,  therefore, 
not  simply  with  the  Apostolic  age,  but  with  the  life  and  order 
of  the  entire  Old  Testament  regime.  The  only  dff  erence  between 
the  Presbyterianism  of  the  Old  Testament  and  of  the  New,  is 
that  one  was  prophetic,  looking  forward  by  faith  to  a  coming 
Christ  and  the  other  historic,  looking  backward  to  Christ,  "mani- 
fest in  the  flesh"  and  who  will  "come  again  the  second  time  without 
sin  unto  salvation." 

Proofs  of  Identity. 

This  identity  of  the  Church  under  various  dispensations  may 
be  conclusively  established:  (1)  By  the  fact  that  the  theology 
of  the  Church  has  always  been  the  same — salvation  by  "the  blood 
of  the  Lamb."  This  theology  was  preached  in  the  Patriarchal  dis- 
pensation by  the  sacrifices ;  made  clearer  in  the  Mosaic  economy  by 

77 


the  passover  Iamb ;  blazed  afresh  in  the  vision  of  prophecy,  which 
saw  him  "brought  as  a  Iamb  to  the  slaughter" ;  burst  forth  into 
the  full  light  of  the  gospel,  as  John  the  Baptist  designated  the 
antitype  of  all  preceding  types  as  "the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world" ;  and  in  the  preaching  of  apostles, 
gathered  around,  as  a  nucleus,  the  "Lamb  without  blemish  and 
without  spot,"  whose  "blood  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin" ;  while 
John  looked  through  the  open  door  of  Heaven  and  saw  ^*In  the 
midst  of  the  throne    ...    a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain." 

(2)  By  the  fact  that  salvation  in  every  age  is  by  the  same  in- 
strumentality, the  exercise  of  faith.  "Abraham  believed  God, 
and  it  was  counted  unto  him  for  rightousness."  So  Paul  argues 
we  are  saved  in  the  same  way,  "Being  justified  by  faith,"  etc. 
The  only  difference  was  that  the  Jew  looked  by  faith  to  a  Messiah 
to  come,  and  we  look  by  faith  to  a  Messiah  already  come. 

(3)  The  Sacraments  of  the  Church  are  the  same.  In  the  Jewish 
Church  there  were  two — Circumcision  and  the  Passover — and  in 
the  Christian  Church,  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper.  Circum- 
cision, having  exactly  the  same  significance  as  Baptism  has  given 
place  to  it,  there  being  no  change  of  the  sacrament,  but  simply 
of  the  symbol ;  hence  Paul  identifies  them :  "In  whom  also  ye 
are  circumcized  with  the  circumcision  made  without  hands  in 
putting  off  the  body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh  by  the  circumcision 
of  Christ;  buried  with  him  in  baptism,"  etc.  (II  Col.  2:12).  So 
also  the  Passover  has  given  place  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  both  having 
the  same  significance;  hence  Paul  announces,  "For  even  Christ 
our  Passover  is  sacrificed  for  us"  (I  Cor.  5:7).  The  Passover 
was  prophetic,  and  the  Lord's  Supper  is  the  same  sacrament, 
historic. 

(4)  The  constitution  of  the  Church  is  always  the  same,  in 
every  dispensation,  a  government  in  the  hands  of  the  "elders." 
In  the  patriarchal  age  these  "elders"  were  the  natural  heads  of 
families.  In  the  Mosaic  age  he  and  Aaron  submitted  their  cre- 
dentials to  the  judgment  of  the  "elders"  in  Egypt.  In  the  "Church 
in  the  Wilderness"  there  were  elected  "seventy  elders,"  which 
gave  rise  to  the  Sanhedrim  at  a  later  period.  After  the  settle- 
ment in  Caanan  there  was  in  each  local  synagogue  a  bench  of 

78 


"elders,"  the  "rulers  of  the  synagogue.'*  Not  at  all  surprised, 
therefore,  are  we  that  in  the  New  Testament  it  is  said  they  "or- 
dained them  elders  in  every  Church'*  (Acts  14:23).  So  nat- 
urally enough  when  John  on  Patmos  "looked  and  behold  a  door 
was  opened  in  heaven,"  he  saw  through  that  open  door  in  heaven 
no  bishops,  archbishops,  cardinals,  nor  popes,  but  "four  and  twenty 
elders."  (Rev.  4:4). 

If  the  plan  of  salvation  is  the  same  in  all  ages;  if  "Jesus 
Christ  is  the  same  yesterday  and  today  and  forever ;  if  He  is  the 
Divine  Head  of  the  Church;  these  considerations  would  seem 
to  indicate  that  "the  Church  of  God"  is  one  and  the  same,  though 
existing  under  different  dispensations.  Alexander  Cruden  in  his 
"Concordance," — recognized  as  a  standard  by  scholars  generally, — 
furnishes  perhaps  the  simplest  and  most  comprehensive  definition 
of  the  Church  ever  framed  as,  "All  the  elect  of  God,  of  what 
nation  soever,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  world,  who 
make  but  one  body,  whereof  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Head,  Col.  1 :18." 
The  identity  of  the  Church  in  all  ages  is,  therefore,  of  vital  con- 
sideration, because  it  determines  the  place  and  importance  of  the 
Sacraments  in  the  Church  and  imparts  additional  significance  to 
them  as  not  mere  ceremonial  observances  but  as  having  a  holy  and 
spiritual  purpose.  Especially  does  it  have  a  bearing  on  the  mode 
and  subjects  of  Baptism  as  will  appear  in  the  further  treatment  of 
that  sacrament. 

I. 

SacramentSy  Their  Significance  and  Purpose. 

The  word  "sacrament"  comes  from  the  Latin  word  "sacra- 
mentum,"  designating  the  oath  of  a  soldier.  According  to  the 
definition  of  the  Catechism,  "A  sacrament  is  a  holy  ordinance  in- 
stituted by  Christ,  wherein  by  sensible  signs  Christ  and  the  benefits 
of  the  New  Covenant  are  represented,  sealed  and  applied  to 
believers."    In  other  words,  a  sacrament  consists  of  two  things — 

(1)  The  "Sensible  Signs,"  which  are  the  outward  symbols,  and 

(2)  the  things  signified.  In  baptism  the  outward  and  visible 
symbol  is  water — the  thing  signified  is  the  cleansing  of  the  soul 

79 


through  the  regeneration  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  In  the  Lord's  Supper 
the  outward  symbols  are  the  bread  and  wine.  The  thing  signi- 
fied is  the  death  of  Christ  and  our  participation  in  its  benefits. 

The  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

Confining  our  inquiry  at  this  time  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  the 
Catechism  defines  it  as  "A  sacrament  wherein,  by  giving  and  re- 
ceiving bread  and  wine,  according  to  Christ's  appointment,  His 
death  is  showed  forth;  and  the  worthy  receivers  are,  not  after  a 
corporeal  and  carnal  manner,  but  by  faith,  made  partakers  of  His 
body  and  blood,  with  all  His  benefits,  to  their  spiritual  nourish- 
ment and  growth  in  grace." 

Diverse  Interpretations. 

1.  The  theory  of  the  Romanists  is  called  "Transubstantiation," 
which  teaches  that  the  bread  and  wine  by  the  officiating  Catholic 
priest  are  converted  into  the  very  body  and  blood  of  Christ.  The 
objections  to  this  interpretation  are  fatal.  In  the  first  place,  it 
violates  the  nature  of  a  sacrament  by  destroying  its  symbolism,  for 
the  bread  and  wine  are  no  longer  symbols  but  are  changed  into  the 
thing  which  they  are  supposed  to  represent.  In  the  next  place,  it 
contradicts  our  senses.  It  asks  us  to  believe  that  the  symbols 
which  look  like  bread  and  wine,  which  taste  like  bread  and  wine 
are  really  not  bread  and  wine ;  and  that  our  senses  of  sight,  taste, 
smell  and  touch  deceive  us.  In  addition  to  this,  it  contradicts  our 
reason  by  asking  that  we  believe  the  law  of  nature  governing 
matter  can  be  so  suspended  in  its  operation  as  to  allow  the  material 
body  of  Christ  to  be  present  in  a  million  or  more  different  places 
where  as  many  priests  are  transmuting  bread  and  wine  into  that 
same  body  of  Christ.  The  Romish  interpretation  taxes  our 
credulity  to  the  utmost.  Faith  may  soar  beyond  the  sweep  of 
reason,  but  it  never  contradicts  rationality. 

2.  The  Lutheran  interpretation  is  very  similar,  entitled,  "Con- 
substantiation,"  which  insists  that  the  symbols  still  remain  bread 
and  wine,  but  "in,  with  and  under"  them  the  believer  receives  the 
very  body  and  blood  of  Christ.  All  the  objections  to  the  Tran- 
substantiation  of   the   Catholic   hold   against   "Consubstantiation" 

80 


and  one  more,  for  it  violates  another  law  of  nature  by  teaching 
that  two  material  things,  the  bread  and  the  body  of  Christ  can 
occupy  the  same  place  at  the  same  time. 

3.  The  Zwinglian  interpretation  is  just  the  opposite  of  these 
two  and  goes  to  the  other  extreme.  In  his  reaction  from  Rome 
Zwingli,  the  great  Swiss  Reformer  taught  that  the  sacrament  was 
symbolic  and  nothing  more.  It  has  been  rejected  by  almost  the 
entire  Protestant  Communion  as  too  inadequate.  It  would  be  dif- 
ficult to  believe  that  so  solemn  an  ordinance  dealing  with  such 
sacred  things  as  the  suflfering  and  death  of  Christ  means  nothing 
more  than  a  symbolic  representation  of  the  truth.  Such  belittling 
of  the  sacrament,  as  thereby  to  rob  it  of  spiritual  benefit,  would 
dwarf  its  functions  to  such  an  extent  as  to  deprive  it  of  all  sig- 
nificance and  value. 

II 
The  Calvinistic  Interpretation. 

In  medio  virtus  is  a  Latin  proverb  equivalent  to  the  statement 
that  the  truth  lies  ordinarily  between  the  extremes.  In  keeping 
with  this  proverb  the  Protestant  teaching  as  to  the  sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  occupies  middle  ground  between  the  doctrine 
of  Transubstantiation  and  the  symbolic  view  of  Zwinglianism. 
John  Calvin,  followed  by  our  Confession  of  Faith,  imparts  to 
this  sacrament  a  spiritual  flavor.  The  elements  remain  simply 
bread  and  wine,  entirely  unchanged;  and  those  who  do  not  "dis- 
cern the  Lord's  body"  receive  nothing  but  bread  and  wine.  The 
true  believer,  however,  by  faith  feeds  upon  Christ  really  and  truly. 
It  is  to  the  soul  a  spiritual  "feast  of  fat  things  ...  of  wines  on 
the  lees  well  refined."  (Isa.  25:6).  In  this  sacrament  just  as  the 
body  assimilates  the  natural  food  of  bread  and  wine,  so  the  soul 
partakes  by  faith  of  the  very  life  of  Christ  "to  its  spiritual  nourish- 
ment and  growth  in  grace." 

Sacerdotalism. 

In  nothing  does  the  essential  diflFerence  between  Catholicism 
and  Protestantism  appear  more  marked  than  in  the  sacrament. 

81 


Sacerdotalism  is  a  term  characteristic  of  the  whole  papal  system. 
It  means  priestcraft — the  domination  of  the  whole  church  to  the 
authority  and  will  of  its  priests  no  matter  how  corrupt.  In  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  the  benefit  derived  from  this 
ordinance  depends  entirely  upon  the  will  of  the  officiating  priest. 
It  accords  him  the  power  of  blessing  the  ordinance  according  to 
his  intention.  The  communicants  can  never  know  whether  he  has 
given  them  the  benefits  of  his  good  intention  or  converted  the 
ceremony  into  a  farce  by  withholding  his  blessing. 

In  the  Protestant  Church  the  benefit  never  is  dependent  on  the 
will  of  the  officiating  minister,  but  solely  on  the  relationship  of 
the  believer  to  Christ  and  on  his  improvement  of  the  occasion  as  a 
means  of  grace  by  prayer,  self-examination,  repentance  and  faith. 

The  Lord's  Supper,  Nature  and  Purpose. 

This  leads  naturally  to  the  consideration  of  the  purpose  served 
by  this  sacrament.  It  has  its  place  and  function  in  the  life  of  the 
Church  just  as  truly  as  has  prayer,  preaching,  baptism,  benevolence, 
and  any  other  divinely  appointed  ordinance  of  God's  house. 

(1)  Symbolic  Ordinance. 

First  of  all  it  is  a  symbolic  ordinance.  "By  sensible  signs" — 
bread  and  wine, — Christ  and  the  benefits  of  the  new  covenant  are 
represented.  Just  as  in  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  the  atonement 
is  apprehended  by  the  hearing  of  the  ear,  so  in  these  elements  the 
same  truth  is  symbolized  and  apprehended  by  the  eye.  The  sacra- 
ment confirms  "the  word  preached,"  and  enables  the  believer  to  get 
firmer  grasp  of  the  benefits  of  the  covenant  of  Redemption,  pur- 
chased by  the  precious  blood  of  Christ  as  the  expression  and  proof 
of  his  dying  love. 

(2)  Sealing  Ordinance. 

The  symbolism  is  valuable  but  is  only  a  part  of  the  sacrament. 
Still  more  valuable,  and  the  essential  element  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, is  the  indispensable  "sealing"  of  the  covenant.  The  figure  of 
speech  is  very  striking  and  significant  in  the  business  world ;  and 
in  human  government  a  seal  serves  several  purposes.     It  is  used 

82 


to  stamp  a  document  as  genuine  and  confirm  an  agreement.  The 
pardon  of  a  convict  by  the  President  of  the  United  States  may 
have  the  official  name  attached  but  is  of  no  binding  force  as  yet 
and  might  be  reversed;  but  if  the  Seal  of  State  is  affixed  it  be- 
comes inviolate  and  binds  all  parties,  even  the  President  himself. 
The  seal  of  the  Government  on  its  coin  or  currency  binds  and 
pledges  all  the  resources  of  the  State  to  its  support.  For  inviolate 
security  and  protection  valuable  packages  are  "sealed"  with  the 
official  stamp  of  the  party  or  State  which  so  guarantees  the  un- 
molested contents.  To  safeguard  the  dead  body  of  Christ,  Pilate 
authorized  the  protection  of  the  sepulcher  with  the  seal  of  the 
Roman  Empire.  Nothing  less  than  the  invisible  power  of  God 
himself  could  have  had  the  temerity  to  break  that  seal.  Backed  by 
the  authority  and  resources  of  the  Empire  the  contents  of  that 
sepulcher  were  as  safe  as  human  power  could  render  it.  In  like 
manner  the  sacrament  is  the  "Seal"  of  the  covenant.  It  binds 
Christ  to  guarantee  the  salvation  of  the  believer  and  it  binds  the 
believer  to  a  life  of  obedience  and  consecration.  Every  partici- 
pation in  the  Lord's  Supper  is  a  renewal  of  the  covenant  between 
the  soul  and  its  Saviour.  The  believer  "sealed"  is  guaranteed 
eternal  life  and  protected  by  the  omnipotent  power  of  a  covenant- 
keeping  God. 

(3)  Commemorative  Ordinance. 

On  monument,  tablet  or  tomb  the  inscribed  words — "In 
Memoriam" — have  always  peculiar  and  sacred  significance.  They 
are  a  perpetual  memento  of  one  that  is  "absent."  In  instituting 
the  Supper  both  in  giving  the  bread  and  in  giving  the  wine 
— twice — "our  Lord  the  same  night  in  which  He  was  betrayed" 
emphasized  the  memorial  feature  of  this  perpetual  ordinance,  say- 
ing, "This  do  in  remembrance  of  Me." 

Surely  the  blood-bought  Church  could  never  forget  "dark 
Gethsemane  or  cross-crowned  Calvary."  It  is  sad  reflection  on 
the  fickleness  of  human  nature  that  the  church  should  need  a 
perpetual  reminder  of  "His  dying  love,"  yet  time  and  circum- 
stances efface  impressions  and  deaden  aflfections.  The  Lord's 
Supper  is  the  Master's  appeal  for  perpetual  "remembrance,"  not 

83 


simply  to  the  apostles  who  loved  Him  in  the  flesh,  but  to  distant 
ages,  bringing  to  mind  Him,  "Whom  having  not  seen  we  love." 
Each  observance  is  a  "remembrance"  pointing  backward  through 
the  ages  to  Calvary.  Each  remembrance  is  calculated  to  stir  the 
heart  of  the  believer  to  its  deepest  depth  and  awaken  a  love  be- 
gotten of  love  of  which  we  fervently  sing: 

"Immortal  love,  forever  full, 
Forever  flowing  free 
Forever  shared,  forever  whole 
A  never  ebbing  sea !  . 

Our  outward  lips  confess  the  name 
All  other  names  above. 
Love  only  knoweth  whence  it  c?me 
And  comprehendeth  love." 

(4)  Anticipative  Ordinance. 

H  it  commemorates,  it  likewise  anticipates.  If  one  hand  points 
to  Calvary,  the  other  points  forward  to  the  future  saying:  "Till 
He  come."  This  sacrament  is  the  connecting  link  between  the 
first  and  second  coming  of  Christ.  It  ever  keeps  alive  the  faith 
of  the  Church  in  the  future  glorious  triumph  of  the  Church 
through  the  triumph  of  her  divine  Lord. 

"Till  He  come" — The  age  of  doubt  may  grow  skeptical  and 
sneeringly  ask,  "Where  is  the  promise  of  His  coming?"  To  this 
challenge  the  sacrament  points  to  the  heavens  and  cries — "Till  He 
come."  The  ungodly  world  may  be  utterly  unprepared  and  over- 
whelmed by  His  appearance,  but  the  sacrament  is  ever  echoing  its 
warning — Till  He  come."  Even  His  own  bride,  the  blood-bought 
Church  may  grow  cold  and  cease  to  pray,  "Come  Lord  Jesus, 
come  quickly,"  yet  the  sacrament  is  a  constant  reminder  reiterating 
its  message,  "Till  He  come."  No  voice  of  prophet  or  seer  can 
tell  "What  shall  be  on  the  morrow" ;  but  this  sacrament  acclaims 
one  inevitable  event,  crying  through  the  ages,  and  will  continue  its 
appeal  to  faith  with  the  challenge — "Till  He  come." 

84 


(5)  Gracious  Ordinance. 

Not  by  some  mysterious  efficacy  or  inscrutable  method,  not  by 
some  inherent  power — "ex  opere  operato,"  signifying  virtue  within 
itself, — nor  by  some  inexplicable  operation,  does  the  holy  com- 
munion benefit  the  soul  of  the  believer.  The  blessing  obtained  is 
that  which  pertains  to  it  as  a  spiritual  "means  of  grace."  It  sums 
up  in  itself  all  the  other  means  appointed  for  spiritual  edification. 
It  enlists  prayer,  the  Word,  meditation  and  the  sacrament  itself. 
It  functions  as  a  gracious  exercise  which  makes  its  appeal  to  the 
whole  spiritual  nature  of  the  believer.  The  "remembrance"  brings 
Calvary  afresh  to  the  mind  in  a  very  realistic  manner  that  is  cal- 
culated to  awaken  contrition  for  our  "sins  which  pierced  Him,"  and 
to  stir  the  soul  to  its  deepest  depths  of  love.  The  broken  bread  and 
wine  poured  out  enable  the  soul  to  obtain  a  firmer  grasp  by  faith 
of  Christ  "evidently  set  forth  crucified  before  us."  The  sense  of 
pardoned  sin  and  the  assurance  of  salvation  are  calculated  to  re- 
store to  us  the  joy  of  salvation.  Reflection  on  our  failures  and 
sins  inherent  in  our  unsanctified  carnal  nature — dying  but  still 
active — causes  penitential  tears  and  stimulates  new  purpose  of 
amendment  of  life  and  manners.  The  communion  of  saints,  in- 
cluding our  Lord  Himself,  affords  a  sweet  foretaste  and  blessed 
hope  of  the  Marriage  Supper  of  the  Lamb,  "When  we  shall  drink 
anew"  in  the  kingdom  of  our  dear  Lord,  when  the  body  of  be- 
lievers is  complete  and  the  blood-bought  church  shall  see  face  to 
face  "Him  whom  our  soul  loveth,"  when  for  the  first  time  the 
vast  redeemed  host  shall  assemble  in  one  innumerable  throng,  when 
the  "old,  old  story"  shall  burst  into  "the  new  song"  of  redeeming 
love,  and  we  "shall  bring  forth  the  royal  diadem  and  crown  Him 
Lord  of  all,"  amid  the  joint  hallelujahs  of  saints  and  angels. 

Is  not  this  conception  of  the  nature  and  purpose  of  the  sacra- 
ment worthy  of  the  name,  "holy  communion"?  An  ordinance  so 
symbolic,  sealing,  commemorative  and  gracious  exalts  it  into  a 
large  and  indispensable  place  in  the  scheme  of  Redemption.  Is 
not  the  church  justified  in  lifting  it  to  a  higher  function  of  service 
in  the  kingdom  by  more  scriptural  interpretation  and  exposition 
for  the  comfort  of  believers  and  by  more  intelligent  and  spiritual 

85 


celebration  as  a  distinct  means  of  grace,  "for  the  perfecting  of  the 
saints,  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edifying  of  the  body 
of  Christ;  till  we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the  faith  and  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God  unto  a  perfect  man,  unto  the  measure 
of  the  statute  of  the  fulness  of  Christ;"  and  that  we  "may  be 
able  to  comprehend  with  all  saints  what  is  the  breadth  and  length 
and  depth  and  height;  and  to  know  the  love  of  Christ  which 
passeth  knowledge  that  ye  might  be  filled  with  all  the  fullness  ot 
God.  Now  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  do  exceedingly  abundantly 
above  all  that  we  ask  or  think,  according  to  the  power  that  worketh 
in  us,  unto  Him  be  glory  in  the  church  by  Christ  Jesus  through- 
out all  ages,  world  without  end." 


86 


CHAPTER  VI. 

$resAptettaniis;m  anb  tte  £>acramentst. 

BAPTISM. 

Definitions  lay  the  foundation  for  constructive  work  as  a  basis 
for  Scritpural  exposition  and  interpretation,  in  reaching  the  truth 
in  regard  to  any  subject,  doctrine  or  ordinance. 

Definition  of  Baptism. 

Baptism  is  the  thorough  change  wrought  in  the  spiritual  life 
of  a  soul  through  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  is  outward- 
ly symbolized  by  the  application  of  water  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost.  In  the  popular  conception  of  the 
ordinance,  water  baptism  so  occupies  the  thought  and  attention  of 
many  people  as  to  cause  them  to  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the 
ouward  rite  is  not  the  real  thing  but  only  a  representation  of  the 
work  of  the  Spirit.  The  definition  of  the  Confession  of  Faith 
may  serve,  therefore,  to  reinforce  the  real  significance  of  the  ordi- 
nance :  "Baptism  is  a  sacrament,  wherein  the  washing  with  water, 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
doth  signify  and  seal  our  ingrafting  into  Christ,  and  partaking 
of  the  benefits  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  our  engagement  to  be 
the  Lord's." 

The  thing  signified  is  the  cleansing  operation  of  the  Spirit  by 
the  application  of  the  blood  of  Christ  that  "cleanseth  us  from  all 
sin."  The  symbol  is  water,  which  has  no  efficacy  in  itself,  but 
which  visibly  represents  the  invisible  grace  of  the  "new  birth." 
According  to  the  Confession  of  Faith,  "The  efficacy  of  baptism  is 
not  tied  to  the  moment  of  time  wherein  it  is  administered."  The 
baptism  of  the  soul  by  the  Holy  Ghost  and  the  baptism  of  the 
body  by  water  seldom,  if  ever,  take  place  the  same  moment.  The 
Spiritual  is  supposed  to  precede  the  symbolic.  Unless,  therefore, 
a  change  of  heart  is  wrought  by  the  Spirit,  baptism  with  water  is 
of  no  avail, — regardless  of  the  mode  of  applying  the  water. 

87 


Mode  of  Baptism  not  Essential. 

Water  baptism  itself  not  being  essential  to  salvation,  much 
less  is  the  mode.  At  the  same  time  being  a  scriptural  ordinance,  it 
should  correspond  as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  thing  which  it  signi- 
fies. It  is  of  fundamental  importance  that  every  ordinance  should 
conform  to  the  scriptural  type  because  of  the  tendency  of  human 
nature  to  attach  undue  importance  to  any  ceremonial  ordinance  in 
proportion  as  it  departs  from  the  simplicity  of  the  scriptural  form. 
This  justifies  inquiry  into,  and  a  discussion  of,  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism. The  first  consideration  touches  the  whole  question  at  issue : 
Is  baptism  the  application  of  the  person  to  the  water;  or  the  appli- 
cation of  the  water  to  the  person  f 

I. 

The  Meaning  of  the  Word. 

As  the  advocates  of  immersion  base  its  claim  largely  on  the 
meaning  of  the  Greek  word,  baptizo,  from  which  is  derived  the 
English  word  baptism,  it  becomes  necessary  to  subject  it  to  the 
closest  scrutiny.  Two  words  in  the  Greek,  bapto  and  baptizo,  are 
very  similar  in  appearance  but  very  different  in  their  meaning. 
Bapto  means  primarily  to  "dip,**  although  in  the  secondary  mean- 
ing it  signifies  to  "dye"  and  loses  the  idea  of  dipping  entirely, 
as  the  dyeing  may  be  done  by  sprinkling. 

This  word  bapto  which  means  to  "dip"  is  never  in  any  instance 
used  as  the  word  for  baptism.  Baptizo,  which  is  the  word  used 
in  the  Scriptures  for  baptism,  does  not  mean  to  "dip"  and  never 
lends  itself  to  any  special  mode.  It  has  one  fixed  meaning,  but 
may  be  performed  by  a  dozen  different  modes.  It  means  con- 
trolling influence  by  which  the  condition  of  the  object  is  thor- 
oughly changed.  It  never  has  the  significance  of  putting  one  into 
the  water  and  taking  him  out.  That  would  be  "dipping,"  and  the 
word  for  that  act  is  bapto,  which  is  never  applied  to  baptism.  If, 
however,  one  is  put  into  the  water  and  left  till  he  is  drowned, 
baptizo  would  express  the  act,  because  he  is  changed  from  a  living 
man  to  a  dead  man.    That,  however,  would  be  only  one  application 

88 


of  the  word.  It  was  used  freely  by  the  Greeks  for  numerous 
acts,  but  never  demands  the  suggestion  of  any  mode.  "Baptized 
with  wine,"  used  frequently  by  the  Greeks,  did  not  mean  "dipped" 
into  the  liquid,  but  meant  "drunken" — changed  (by  drinking 
wine)  from  a  sober  man  to  a  drunken  man.  "Baptized  by  a  drug" 
meant  having  poppy  juice  sprinkled  in  his  face,  or  drinking  an 
opiate,  and  thereby  changing  his  normal  condition  into  a  stupor. 

Classic  Baptism. 

The  following  are  specimens  of  usage  in  the  Greek: 

"Baptized  by  the  same  drug" ;  by  drinking  from  a  cup. — Tatius. 

"Baptized  by  unmixed  wine";  by  drinking  from  a  cup. — 
Athenaeus. 

"Baptizing  powerfully";  by  drinking  from  a  cup. — Athenaeus. 

"Baptized  Alexander" ;  by  drinking  from  a  cup. — Conon. 

"Resembles  one  baptized" ;  by  drinking  from  a  cup. — Lucian. 

"Baptized  yesterday";  by  drinking  from  a  cup. — Plato. 

"Baptized  by  yesterday's  debauch" ;  by  drinking  from  a  cup. — 
Plutarch. 

Christ  himself  used  the  word  in  this  same  sense :  "Can  ye  drink 
of  the  cup  that  I  drink  of  ?  and  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  that 
I  am  baptized  with?"  This  involved  the  baptism  of  martyrdom — 
changed  from  life  to  death.  Paul  used  baptism  in  the  same  sense 
in  Heb.  9:10;  speaking  of  the  ceremonial  sprinklings  in  the  Jewish 
Church,  he  called  them  "divers  baptisms" — because  they  were 
changed  ceremonially  from  uncleanness  to  cleanness.  Any  purifi- 
cation, no  matter  by  what  mode  performed,  was  called  baptism, 
because  the  condition  of  the  person  was  changed.  The  early 
church  fathers,  dating  back  almost  to  Apostolic  times,  so  used 
the  word.  Clement  of  Alexandria  speaks  of  being  "baptized  a 
second  time  by  tears" — changed  from  impenitence  to  penitence — 
but  the  penitent  was  not  immersed  in  his  own  tears.  Origen  states. 
*Tor  it  is  only  the  baptism  of  blood  which  renders  us  more  pure 
than  the  baptism  of  water" — changed  by  the  purifying  process  of 
martyrdom — ^but  the  martyr  was  not  immersed  in  his  own  blood. 

In  the  Greek,  the  word  used  for  the  Lord's  Supper  by  the 

89 


Apostles  is  deipnon,  which  unquestionably  means  a  "feast" ;  and 
yet  as  a  symbolic  act  no  one  insists  that  believers  to  get  the  benefit 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  should  eat  a  full  meal,  although  that  seemed 
to  have  been  the  practice  of  the  church  in  the  early  days.  The 
Apostle  Paul  rebuked  the  Corinthian  Church  for  such  celebration 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  (1  Cor.  11 :22).  If,  therefore,  a  crumb  of 
bread  and  a  sup  of  wine  are  universally  recognized  as  sufficient 
for  properly  celebrating  this  sacrament,  it  is  highly  inconsistent 
that  the  benefit  in  the  other  sacrament  should  be  made  by  some 
denominations  to  depend  upon  the  quantity  of  water.  The  sym- 
bolic usage  should  be  the  same  in  both  sacraments. 

Dr.  James  W.  Dale,  a  man  of  great  learning  and  research,  has 
written  voluminous  and  scholarly  books  on  the  meaning  of  the 
word  haptizo — ^tracing  it  through  the  Greek  literature  as  well  as 
throughout  the  Scriptures — and  reaches  this  conclusion,  which  no 
one  has  ever  even  attempted  to  refute :  "Whatever  is  capable  of 
thoroughly  changing  the  character,  state  and  condition  of  any 
object  is  capable  of  baptizing  that  object,  and  by  such  change  of 
character,  state  or  condition  does,  in  fact,  baptize  it." 

Based  upon  this  conclusion,  the  result  of  preeminent  scholar- 
ship, he  challenges  the  world  with  this  definition  of  baptism :  "The 
Scriptures  teach  a  baptism  which  is  from  Christ  as  an  atoning 
Redeemer,  and  is  effected  in  the  soul  through  the  Holy  Ghost, 
so  that  the  condition  of  the  soul,  in  its  own  nature  and  its  relation 
to  law  and  to  sin,  is  thoroughly  changed,  and  new  relations,  in 
holiness,  are  established  toward  God  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  Scriptures  further  teach  that  this  baptism  of 
the  soul  through  the  blood  of  Christ  received  by  repentance  and 
faith,  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  embodied  in  a  rite  and 
symbolly  exhibited  by  the  application  of  pure  water  to  the  body, 
with  the  utterance  of  appropriate  expository  words.  This  is  the 
doctrine  of  that  *one  baptism'  by  Scripture  in  its  reality  by  the 
TToly  Ghost,  and  in  that  reality  ritually  symbolized  by  pure  water." 

90 


II. 

The  Appeal  to  Scriptures. 

Baptized  in  the  Red  Sea. 

The  first  thing  in  the  Word  of  God  called  baptism  is  the  passage 
of  the  Red  Sea  by  the  children  of  Israel  (1  Cor.  10:1,  2)  :  "All 
our  fathers  were  under  the  cloud  and  all  passed  through  the  sea ; 
and  were  all  baptized  unto  Moses  in  the  cloud  and  in  the  sea." 
The  mode  of  this  baptism  can  only  be  determined  by  reading  the 
Mosaic  account  in  Exodus  14:21,  22:  "And  the  Lord  caused  the 
sea  to  go  back  by  a  strong  east  wind  all  that  night,  and  made  the 
sea  dry  land,  and  the  waters  were  divided.  And  the  children  of 
Israel  went  into  the  midst  of  the  sea  upon  the  dry  ground."  Can 
there  be  the  slightest  reasonable  doubt  about  the  mode  of  that 
baptism  ?  The  Egyptians  were  immersed ;  but  Paul  does  not  say 
they  were  baptized.  The  Israelites  were  not  immersed;  and  yet 
Paul  affirms  that  they  "were  all  baptized."  If  any  water  touched 
the  Israelites,  it  must  have  been  poured  upon  them  from  the 
cloud,  or  sprinkled  on  them  by  the  spray;  and  yet  Paul,  inspired 
and  infallible,  pronounces  it  baptism.  If  we  had  nothing  but  the 
statement  of  Paul  that  they  "were  all  baptized,"  that  would  be 
regarded  sufficient  proof  of  immersion  by  multitudes.  All  the 
world  could  not  shake  their  belief  that  the  Israelites  were  "buried 
in  liquid  graves" — if  the  Mosaic  account  did  not  bar  the  possi- 
bility of  such  an  inference.  Yet  upon  such  insufficient  evidence 
they  dogmatize  about  the  immersion  of  Jesus,  simply  because 
of  the  proximity  of  a  river.  But  Paul  tells  of  the  baptism  of 
multitudes  "in  the  sea" ;  and  yet  Moses  assures  us  they  were  not 
immersed. 

Such  an  application  of  water  as  these  Israelites  received  would 
not  now  be  regarded  as  baptism  by  the  advocates  of  immersion ; 
but  we  must  take  our  position  by  the  side  of  Paul,  and  insist  that 
this  was  baptism,  although  it  was  not  immersion.  It  is  curious  to 
see  how  immersionists  attempt  to  evade  what  Paul  in  this  place 
distinctly  affirms  is  baptism.  Dr.  Alexander  Carson,  in  his  hercu- 
lean effort  to  prove  that  "baptism"  means  "dip"  through  the  whole 

91 


range  of  Greek  literature,  says  of  the  Israelites  on  this  occasion 
that  they  got  a  "dry  dip"!  Dr.  Broadus,  in  his  tract  entitled 
"Immersion  Essential,"  says  that  this  was  "not  a  literal  immer- 
sion ;  it  was  only  something  like  baptism" !  But  Paul  insists  that 
it  was  baptism !  "Baptized  unto  Moses"  denotes  the  change  in 
Israelis  attitude  toward  Moses  and  from  this  moment  their  accept- 
ance of  his  leadership  of  the  Lord's  hosts. 

Jewish  Ritual  Baptisms. 

The  next  text  of  Scripture  claiming  attention  is  Heb.  9:10: 
"Which  stood  only  in  meats  and  drinks  and  divers  washings." 
The  word  translated  "washings"  in  the  Greek,  as  written  by  the 
inspired  author,  is  "baptisms,"  alluding  to  those  ceremonies  prac- 
ticed by  the  Jewish  Church.  It  is  again  necessary  to  "search  the 
Scriptures"  of  the  Old  Testament  to  determine  the  mode  of  these 
"divers  baptisms."  Leviticus  14:5-7  furnishes  one  of  them,  the 
ceremonial  purification  of  the  leper.  "And  the  priest  shall  com- 
mand that  one  of  the  birds  be  killed  in  an  earthen  vessel  over 
running  water  ...  and  he  shall  sprinkle  upon  him  that  is  to  be 
cleansed  from  the  leprosy  seven  times,  and  shall  pronounce  him 
clean."  Leprosy  is  universally  acknowledged  as  the  type  of  sin; 
the  leper  is  the  type  of  the  sinner ;  and  the  cleansing  of  the  leper 
typical  of  the  sinner's  cleansing.  This  sprinkling  of  the  leper  is 
one  of  the  "divers  baptisms"  mentioned  in  Heb.  9:10.  Still  an- 
other may  be  found  in  Numbers  8:6,  7,  and  is  the  consecration 
of  the  Levites:  "Take  the  Levites  from  among  the  children  of 
Israel,  and  cleanse  them,  and  thus  shalt  thou  do  unto  them  to 
cleanse  them  :  Sprinkle  water  of  purifying  upon  them."  The  cere- 
monial purification  of  one  who  was  unclean  from  touching  a  dead 
body  was  a  third  instance  of  these  "divers  baptisms."  Numbers 
19:17-19:  "And  for  an  unclean  person  they  shall  take  the  ashes 
of  the  burnt  heifer  of  purification  for  sin,  and  running  water 
shall  be  put  thereto  in  a  vessel;  and  a  clean  person  shall  take 
hyssop  and  dip  it  in  the  water  and  sprinkle  it  upon  the  tent  and 
upon  all  the  vessels  and  upon  the  persons,  .  .  .  and  the  clean 
person  shall  sprinkle  upon  the  unclean." 

92 


Heie  are  three  illustrations — ^the  sprinkling  of  the  leper,  the 
sprinkling  of  the  Levites,  and  the  sprinkling  of  the  unclean — to 
which  the  inspired  writer  refers,  when  he  speaks  of  "divers  bap- 
tisms" among  the  Israelites.  There  is  not  one  solitary  instance 
among  the  Israelites  where  one  person  ever  immersed  another,  and 
as  there  were  no  immersions,  there  can  be  no  question  but  that 
the  "divers  baptisms"  were  these  sprinklings.  The  context  which 
follows  leaves  no  room  for  doubt,  for  after  alluding  in  verse  10 
to  the  "divers  baptisms,"  Paul  proceeds  to  enumerate  at  least  two 
instances,  mentioning  in  verse  13  that  "the  ashes  of  an  heifer 
sprinkling  the  unclean  sanctifieth  to  the  purifying  of  the  flesh," 
and  in  verse  19,  alluding  to  the  consecration  at  Sinai,  he  says: 
"For  when  Moses  had  spoken  every  precept  to  all  the  people  ac- 
cording to  the  law,  he  took  the  blood  of  calves  and  of  goats,  with 
water,  and  scarlet  wool  and  hyssop,  and  sprinkled  both  the  book 
and  all  the  people.'* 

Prophetic  Baptisms. 

Having  by  these  texts  exhibited  the  mode  of  baptism  under  the 
Mosaic  law,  let  us  examine  the  practice  and  usages  of  the  prophetic 
age.  In  Isaiah  52:15,  in  the  midst  of  the  remarkable  prophecy 
of  the  Messiah,  which  reads  like  history  instead  of  prophecy, 
occurs  the  striking  announcement:  "So  shall  He  sprinkle  many 
nations."  Any  reference  Bible  will  refer  to  the  day  of  Pentecost 
for  its  fulfillment,  when  three  thousand  were  baptized  in  a  day. 
Ezek.  36:24,  25,  contains  the  prediction  of  the  restoration  and 
conversion  of  the  Jews:  "For  I  will  take  you  from  among  the 
heathen,  and  gather  you  out  of  all  countries,  and  bring  you  into 
your  own  land.  Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and 
ye  shall  be  clean."  The  value  of  these  prophetical  references  is 
twofold :  ( 1 )  showing  the  mode  of  ceremonial  cleansing  practiced 
at  that  time;  and  (2)  containing  the  prediction,  incidentally,  that 
these  same  practices  will  continue  in  the  Christian  dispensation. 
Will  these  prophecies  never  be  fulfilled  ?  Shall  we  affirm  that  all 
other  predictions  shall  come  to  pass  except  those  which  foretell 
that  the  mode  of  Christian  purification  in  the  Christian  dispensa- 

93 


tion  will  be  by  sprinkling?  Bound  up  with  the  prophecy  of  the 
conversion  of  the  Jews  is  their  mode  of  purification.  Will  any 
one  presume  to  separate  them,  and  maintain  the  conversion  of  the 
Jews,  but  deny  that  part  of  the  prophecy  which  affirms,  "Then  will 
I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you"?  "For  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
Till  heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise 
pass  from  the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled." 

Every  type  and  shadow  of  the  Old  Testament  is  fulfilled  in 
the  New.  All  the  blood-shedding  and  sacrifices  found  their  ful- 
filment in  the  Cross,  commemorated  every  Sabbath  in  a  perpetual 
sacrament,  the  Lord's  Supper.  To  what  did  the  purifications  with 
water  so  numerous  in  the  Old  Testament  point  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment? How  are  these  sprinklings  with  water  fulfilled  except  in 
the  other  sacrament  of  the  Church,  now  called  baptism  ?  Through- 
out the  whole  Old  Testament  there  is  never  one  instance  where 
one  person  is  ever  commanded  to  immerse  another  nor  any  record 
of  an  immersion  ever  having  been  performed ;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
every  command  to  purify  with  water  is,  without  exception,  by 
sprinkling.  The  mode  of  cleansing  in  the  Old  Testament,  at  least, 
is  beyond  dispute. 

The  Baptism  of  Christ. 

Proceeding  in  this  inquiry  to  the  New  Testament,  the  first 
instance  is  John's  baptism,  and  the  most  notable  case  is  the  ad- 
ministration of  this  baptism  upon  the  person  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ :  "And  Jesus,  when  He  was  baptized,  went  up  straightway 
out  of  the  water."  This  is  the  favorite  text  of  the  immersionists. 
"If  He  came  up  out  of  the  water  He  must  have  been  immersed," 
is  their  argument.  But  they  furnish  no  proofs.  Immersion  is 
nothing  but  their  inference.  They  might  just  as  well  argue  that 
the  Israelites  were  immersed  because  they  "were  all  baptized  in 
the  sea,"  and  they  would  so  maintain  if  the  possibility  of  immer- 
sion were  not  barred  by  the  Mosaic  account.  On  the  contrary, 
the  proofs  against  immersion  in  the  case  of  Christ's  baptism  are 
irresistible  to  an  unbiased  mind. 

This  was  the  baptism  of  a  Jew  by  a  Jew,  and  hence  there  is 

94 


the  strongest  reason  to  believe  that  it  was  according  to  the  Jewish 
mode.  Never  was  there  a  sect  who  clung  with  more  tenacity  to 
their  forms  and  ceremonies  than  the  Jews.  The  "hyssop,"  the 
"running  water"  and  the  "sprinkling"  were  as  essential  to  their 
mode  of  baptism  as  immersion  is  to  certain  others.  To  ask  the 
mode  of  Christ's  baptism  is  simply  to  inquire  the  mode  of  baptism 
practiced  by  the  Church  of  which  Christ  was  a  member ;  and  who- 
ever denies  that  it  was  according  to  the  prevalent  mode  in  the 
Jewish  Church  must  give  some  better  proof  than  an  inference. 
If  immersion  had  been  the  prevalent  mode  in  the  Jewish  Church, 
and  one  should  affirm  that  Christ's  was  by  a  different  mode,  the 
burden  of  proof  would  rest  upon  him  to  prove  that  a  change  of 
mode  had  taken  place.  "Why  did  they  go  to  the  river,  if  not  for 
immersion?"  is  considered  the  unanswerable  question,  and  yet  no 
question  admits  of  an  easier  solution.  How  else  could  they  get 
the  "running  water"  required  in  sufficient  quantities  for  the  multi- 
tudes except  at  the  river  ?  The  Jews  still  practice  the  same  mode 
of  baptism  that  has  been  in  existence  since  the  days  of  Moses. 

There  is  still  another  strong  proof  that  Christ's  baptism  was  by 
sprinkling.  Why  was  Jesus  baptized  at  all?  Not  being  a  sinner, 
He  had  no  need  of  purification  typified  by  baptism.  John  felt  the 
weight  of  such  a  consideration,  and  only  yielded  when  Christ 
removed  his  difficulty  by  affirming :  "Thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil 
all  righteousness."  What  "righteousness"  was  fulfilled?  What 
law  was  obeyed  in  His  baptism?  There  has  never  been  given  but 
one  satisfactory  answer  to  these  questions :  The  baptism  of  Jesus 
was  His  consecration  to  His  priesthood  at  the  beginning  of  His 
public  ministry.  That  He  was  our  High  Priest  is  unquestioned ; 
and  being  just  thirty  years  old,  exactly  the  age  at  which  every 
priest  was  consecrated  to  his  office,  confirms  the  belief  that  this 
was  the  meaning  of  His  baptism.  The  law  of  consecration  to  the 
priesthood  is  set  forth  in  Numbers  8 :7 :  '^Sprinkle  water  of  puri- 
fying upon  them";  and  to  that  law  our  great  High  Priest  sub- 
mitted in  fulfilment  of  "all  righteousness."  This  was  the  belief  of 
the  ancient  church,  as  is  seen  by  the  oldest  pictures  of  Christ's 

95 


baptism,  representing  Him  standing  in  the  water,  and  John  pour- 
ing the  water  upon  Him  out  of  a  shell. 

New  Testament  Usage  of  Tenns. 

Two  passages  of  Scripture  next  claim  attention,  showing  a 
similarity  in  the  use  of  the  word  "baptize"  by  the  inspired  writers. 
Mark  7 : 4,  "And  when  they  come  from  the  market,  except  they 
wash,  they  eat  not."  Luke  11 :38 ;  "And  when  the  Pharisee  saw 
it,  he  marvelled  that  he  had  not  first  washed  before  dinner."  In 
each  of  these  texts  the  word  translated  "wash"  is  "baptize"  in  the 
Greek.  The  purification,  which  every  Jew  performed  before  each 
meal  by  handwashing,  sprinkling  himself,  is  called  baptism  by 
Mark  and  Luke.  Even  if  it  should  be  said  the  baptism  had  refer- 
ence only  to  the  hands,  that  would  avail  nothing,  for  the  Jewish 
mode  of  handwashing  was  by  pouring  water  upon  them.  Unless, 
then,  it  can  be  believed  that  the  Jew  immersed  himself  before 
every  meal,  we  have  these  two  sacrd  writers  (in  addition  to  Paul, 
Heb.  9:10,  "divers  baptisms")  using  baptism  and  sprinkling  as 
synonymous. 

Baptism  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  strongest  class  of  texts  yet  examined  is  Acts  1 :5,  etc. 
"John  truly  baptized  with  wdter ;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days  hence."  Water  baptism  is  then  the 
symbol  of  baptism  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Baptism  with  water  is 
the  picture;  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  original  of  the 
picture.  Ritual  baptism  is  the  shadow,  of  which  spiritual  baptism 
is  the  substance.  If  the  picture  is  to  be  perfect,  it  must  conform 
as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  original.  In  what  manner  were  the 
Apostles  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  Acts  2:3,  4.  "And 
there  appeared  unto  them  cloven  tongues  like  as  of  fire,  and  it 
sat  upon  each  of  them.  And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost."  Peter  explained  the  mode  of  this  baptism  more  explicitly 
in  Acts  2:17,  as  being  the  fulfilment  of  Joel's  prophecy,  "And  it 
shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  out  of  My 
Spirit  upon  all  flesh,"  etc.  Under  the  same  figure  of  pouring,  he 
announces  in  verse  33,  "Having  received  of  the  Father  the  promise 

96 


of  tlie  Holy  Ghost,  He  (Jesus)  hath  shed  forth  this."  So,  in 
like  manner,  the  baptism  of  Cornelius  with  water  was  suggested  by 
the  baptism  of  the  Spirit.  Acts  10:44-48.  "While  Peter  yet 
spake  these  words  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  them.  .  .  .  On  the 
Gentiles  also  was  poured  out  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  .  .  . 
Then  answered  Peter,  Can  any  man  forbid  water,  that  these 
should  not  be  baptized,  which  have  received  the  Holy  Ghost  as 
well  as  we  ?"  Peter's  defence  of  his  conduct  in  baptizing  Gentiles 
was  their  baptism  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Acts  11 :  15,  16.  "As  I 
began  to  speak  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  them,  as  on  us  at  the 
beginning.  Then  remembered  I  the  word  of  the  Lord,  how  that 
He  said,  John  indeed  baptized  with  water ;  but  ye  shall  be  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Ghost."  Is  it  not  remarkable  that  in  every  instance 
where  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  is  spoken  of,  it  is  invariably  under 
the  figure  of  an  outpouring;  or  in  language  which  suggests  pour- 
ing as  the  mode  of  baptism  by  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  Is  it  not  equally 
remarkable  that  the  Spirit's  baptism  is  never  alluded  to  anywhere 
in  Scripture  under  the  figure  of  immerson;  nor  in  any  language 
which  suggests  immersion.  It  would  be  still  more  remarkable,  if 
immersion  should  be  the  mode  of  water  baptism,  and  pouring  the 
mode  of  the  Spirit's  baptism !  In  that  case  the  type  and  the  anti- 
type, the  symbol  and  the  thing  symbolized,  would  have  no  simi- 
larity! If,  then,  water  baptism  symbolizes  the  baptism  of  the 
Spirit,  and  the  lattef  is  everywhere  in  Scripture  alluded  to  under 
the  figure  of  affusion,  it  is  perfectly  manifest  that  water  baptism 
can  never  so  appropriately  represent  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit,  as 
when  performed  by  pouring  the  water  upon  the  subject. 

Individual  Baptisms. 

Three  special  instances  of  baptism  must  now  be  considered. 
Acts  8 :  38 :  "And  He  commanded  the  chariot  to  stand  still :  and 
they  went  down  into  the  water,  both  Philip  and  the  eunuch;  and 
He  baptized  him."  Seldom  has  an  immersion  ever  been  per- 
formed without  reading  this  text  as  proof  of  its  legitimacy;  and 
yet  never  did  so  much  confidence  rest  upon  such  a  slender  basis. 
The  bone  of  contention  is  the  Greek  preposition  translated  "into." 
If  it  means  "into"  then  the  immersionist  must  prove  that  it  was 

97 


not  a  Jewish  baptism  of  going  into  the  "running  water"  and 
sprinkling.  If  it  does  not  mean  "into,"  then  the  immersionist 
finds  no  support  in  this  case.  If  any  one  will  take  the  trouble  to 
examine  the  preposition  translated  "into"  he  will  find  that  it  occurs 
about  fifteen  hundred  times  in  the  New  Testament ;  about  half  of 
the  number  are  translated  "in"  or  "into",  and  the  other  half  "to" 
or  "unto."  So  that  in  this  case  a  doubtful  preposition  is  the 
strongest  support  the  immersionist  can  bring  to  establish  a  still 
more  doubtful  mode.  The  fact  that  they  went  "down"  does  not 
imply  that  their  object  was  to  get  "into  water."  Read  in  the  Greek 
verse  31  in  connection  with  verse  38,  and  the  antithesis  between 
"up"  and  "down"  will  be  perfectly  manifest.  In  verse  31,  Philip 
is  invited  "up"  into  the  chariot  with  the  eunuch,  and  in  verse  38 
that  action  is  reversed;  they  went  "down"  from  the  chariot.  If 
this  text  proves  anything  about  the  mode  of  baptism,  it  lends  its 
support  to  sprinkling ;  for  the  very  passage  of  Scripture  which  the 
eunuch  was  reading  at  that  time,  and  which  he  asked  Philip  to 
expound,  was  the  celebrated  prophecy  of  Isaiah  concerning  the 
Messiah,  containing  the  prediction :  "So  shall  he  sprinkle  many 
nations."     (Isa.  52:15.) 

Acts  9:  18,  19:  "And  immediately  there  fell  from  his  eyes  as 
it  had  been  scales :  and  he  received  his  sight  forthwith,  and  arose 
and  was  baptized.  And  when  he  had  received  meat  he  was 
strengthened."  This  was  the  baptism  of  Paul,  a  sick  man.  He 
was  baptized  standing,  for  the  Greek  translated  "arose"  is  literally 
"having  stood  up."  After  his  baptism  he  "received  meat  and  was 
strengthened."  If  the  mode  had  been  immersion,  the  baptism 
would  have  been  postponed  (as  is  invariably  done  in  these  days) 
until  he  was  restored  to  health ;  but  the  Scriptural  mode  of  sprink- 
ling does  not  endanger  the  health  even  of  the  sick;  and  hence  it 
was  performed  immediately. 

Acts  16:  33 :  "And  he  took  them  the  same  hour  of  the  night  and 
washed  their  stripes  and  was  baptized  he  and  all  his  straightway." 
This  was  the  baptism  of  the  jailor  and  all  his  children,  at  the 
strange  hour  of  midnight,  in  an  Eastern  prison,  and  just  after 
an  earthquake  that  had  shaken  open  the  prison  doors  and  had 
shaken  off  the  prisoners'  shackles.     Those  searching  for  immer- 

98 


sion  "infer"  or  "suppose"  that  they  all  started  off  to  a  river,  men, 
women  and  children,  at  such  an  hour,  leaving  a  dismantled  prison 
and  prisoners  at  liberty  to  escape,  for  whom  the  jailor  was 
answerable  with  his  life!  Nor  is  it  very  probable  that  the  jailor 
would  risk  his  life  by  permitting  even  Paul  and  Silas  beyond  the 
walls  of  the  prison,  after  the  significant  charge  "to  keep  them 
safely."  Then  the  language  of  Paul  in  verse  37  could  not  have 
been  used  by  an  honest  man,  if  he  had  already  been  ranging 
abroad,  and  yet  affirming  that  having  been  illegally  imprisoned, 
he  would  not  leave  that  prison  until  justice  had  been  done  to  his 
character.  The  necessary  inference  is,  that  the  midnight  baptism 
took  place  within  prison  walls,  and  by  the  only  mode  possible  in 
such  circumstances. 

Baptism  Into  Death. 

It  is  necessary  to  consider  only  one  more  passage  of  Scripture — 
Rom.  6:3,  4:  "Know  ye  not,  that  so  many  of  us  were  baptized 
into  Christ,  were  baptized  into  His  death?  Therefore  we  are 
buried  with  Him  by  baptism  into  death/*  Upon  this  passage  are 
founded  the  "watery  burials"  and  "liquid  graves,"  which  are  never 
found  in  Scripture,  but  exist  only  in  the  imagination  of  immer- 
sionists.  Was  there  ever  a  more  striking  contrast  than  that  be- 
tween the  "watery  burial"  of  the  immersionist  and  the  scriptural 
burial  of  this  text?  The  element  of  the  immersionist  is  water; 
the  element  of  this  text  is  Christ's  death.  The  immersionist  bap- 
tizes into  water;  but  this  text  baptizes  ^Hnto  death/'  The  im- 
mersionist buries  the  individual  alone ;  this  text  describes  a  burial 
zvith  Christ  when  He  was  buried.  The  immersionist  performs 
a  temporary  burial;  this  text  describes  a  permanent  condition. 
The  immersionist  cay  say,  "We  were  buried  each  one  separately 
in  water'';  but  this  text  describes  those  who  can  say  "We  are 
buried  with  Christ  by  baptism  into  death." 

The  mistake  of  the  immersionist  rests  upon  the  error  of  sup- 
posing that  our  mode  of  burial  was  in  the  mind  of  Paul  as  the 
basis  of  the  figure,  whereas  our  mode  of  burial  was  not  then  in 
existence.  There  may  be  some  slight  resemblance  between  our 
mode,  of  burial  and  immersion;  but  there  was  not  the  slightest 

99 


between  the  Jewish  mode  of  burial  and  immersion.  They  did 
not  lower  a  body  into  the  ground  as  we  do  at  present,  but  laid 
it  on  a  shelf  in  a  cave  or  sepulcher.  Between  burial  in  Paul's 
mind  and  a  supposed  "watery  burial"  there  was  no  more  resem- 
blance than  there  is  between  a  block  of  marble  and  the  Colossus  of 
Rhodes.  Nor  can  it  be  said  that  Paul  was  writing  to  the  Romans 
and  alluded  to  their  mode  of  burial,  for  their  custom  was  to 
burn  the  dead. 

If  the  immersionist  undertakes  to  symbolize  the  burial  of  Christ, 
why  not  attempt  also  to  represent  his  crucifixion,  for  in  the  same 
place  where  we  are  said  to  be  "buried  with  Christ",  we  are  also 
said  to  be  "crucified  with  Christ"?  Whatever  interpretation  we 
put  upon  "crucified  with  Christ",  must  of  necessity  attach  to  the 
similar  expression,  "buried  with  Christ."  Such  language  every- 
where else  in  Scripture  is  admitted  to  denote  oiir  union  with 
Christ  legally;  so  that  when  He  was  crucified,  in  the  eyes  of  the 
law  we  were  crucified  with  Him;  when  He  was  buried,  we  were 
"buried  with  Him."  Baptism  cannot  represent  a  "burial"  and  a 
"cleansing  from  sin"  at  the  same  time.  The  two  things  are  utterly 
incongruous — exactly  opposites. 

If  baptism  represents  the  burial  and  resurrection  of  Christ  then 
we  have  two  separate  institutions,  representing  His  resurrection, 
viz:  The  change  of  the  Sabbath  from  the  last  to  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  and  baptism.  Nor  is  this  all  the  confusion  that  would 
be  produced  by  such  a  system,  for  there  would  be  one  sacrament 
in  the  church,  representing  the  death  of  Christ,  and  the  other 
representing  His  burial,  and  none  to  symbolize  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  If  the  execution  of  redemption, — the  work  of 
Christ, — is  symbolized  by  one  sacrament,  the  Lord's  Supper;  the 
application  of  redemption, — the  work  of  the  Spirit, — must  be 
svmbolized  by  baptism,  the  other  sacrament. 

In  conclusion,  it  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  Christ's  church 
should  be  hopelessly  divided  by  such  antagonistic  beliefs ;  but  it  is 
a  matter  of  devout  thankfulness,  that  if  we  must  differ,  the  matter 
of  dispute  is  as  insignificant  as  the  mode  of  applying  the  water. 
There  is  no  difiference  on  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  the  necessity 
of  the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus,  the    only    thing    that 

100 


"cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  We  have  "one  Lord,  one  faith,  one 
baptism"— "One  Lord,"  the  Father  of  us  all ;  "one  fath"  in  Jesus 
Christ,  His  Son ;  and  "one  baptism"  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 


101 


CHAPTER  VII. 

^rerfjpterianisrtn  anb  tije  Cobenant. 

Before  entering  upon  the  Scriptural  argument  justifying  infant 
baptism,  allow  me  first  to  urge,  by  way  of  introduction,  that  a 
strong  presumption  in  its  favor  arises  ( 1 )  from  a  consideration  of 
those  principles  or  relationships  in  nature  upon  which  society  is 
built;  and  are  recognized  in  human  governments;  and  (2)  from 
the  fact  that  it  has  been  almost  the  universal  practice  of  the 
Church  in  every  age,  as  may  be  shown  by  an  appeal  to  church 
history. 

Human  Relationships. 

The  fact  that  men  are  members  of  the  state  guarantees  to  their 
offspring  certain  state  privileges.  Their  children  are  born  mem- 
bers of  the  state,  entitled  to  its  protection,  government,  and  dis- 
cipline. In  his  minority  the  infant  member  of  the  state  is  not 
invested  with  all  the  immunities  of  full  citizenship,  yet  at  the  same 
time  the  state  recognizes  his  citizenship  as  an  inalienable  birth- 
right, inherited  from  his  parents.  The  state  also  recognizes  and 
protects  his  rights  to  inherit  his  father's  estate  by  virtue  of  the 
relationship  between  parent  and  child.  Society  still  further  identi- 
fies the  child  with  parent,  so  that  the  very  character  of  the  parent, 
whether  honorable  or  otherwise,  casts  a  halo  of  glory  or  a  shadow 
of  gloom  over  the  prospects  of  his  offspring.  Intemperate  and 
wicked  fathers  entail  suffering  and  shame  upon  their  little  ones; 
while  industrious  and  godly  parents  endow  their  children  with  a 
heritage  more  precious  than  gold.  Shall  our  children  share  with 
us  all  other  blessings  except  those  justly  esteemed  the  greatest  of 
earth?  Shall  father  and  child  share  alike  the  blessings  of  human 
government,  the  kingdom  of  man,  and  yet  be  separated  only  by  the 
the  Church,  the  kingdom  of  God?  Can  a  father  ask  at  the  hands 
of  the  state  the  benefit  of  all  its  laws  in  behalf  of  his  offspring  in 

102 


his  minority,  and  be  denied  the  benefit  of  the  divine  laws  in  the 
church  ?  Shall  our  children  share  our  homes,  our  fortunes,  and  our 
misfortunes  and  be  blessed  or  cursed  with  a  portion  of  all  that 
society  gives  to  the  parent  and  nothing  to  be  withheld  except  the 
ordinance  of  our  holy  religion? 

Historic  Practice  of  the  Church. 

This  strong  presumption  is  still  further  increased  by  the  fact 
that  infant  baptism  has  been  the  prevailing  practice  of  the  church 
in  every  age.  Opposition  to  it  is  only  four  hundred  years  old; 
for  the  first  fifteen  hundred  years  of  the  Christian  era  it  was  prac- 
ticed by  the  church  without  its  legitimacy  being  even  questioned. 
Tertullian,  about  200  years  after  Christ,  is  often  quoted  as  one 
who  opposed  the  practice,  but  the  supposed  opposition  of  Ter- 
tullian is  proof  positive  of  its  prevalence  in  the  early  days  of 
Christianity,  and  at  the  same  time  was  not  directed  against  it  as 
such.  He  believed  that  sin  committed  after  baptism  was  un- 
pardonable, and  therefore  opposed  infant  baptism  and  adult 
baptism  alike,  and  insisted  that  it  should  be  postponed  till  the 
approach  of  death,  so  that  no  sin  would  be  committed  after  the 
baptism.  Origen,  still  earlier,  the  most  learned  of  all  the  Church 
Fathers,  was  himself  baptized  in  infancy,  and  says  the  custom  of 
baptizing  infants  was  received  from  the  Apostles.  It  can  be 
traced  almost  to  the  days  of  the  Apostles  by  the  writings  of 
Irenaeus  (about  120  A.  D.),  who  says:  "He  (Christ)  came  to 
save,  through  means  of  Himself,  all  who  through  Him  are  born 
again  to  God^nfants,  children,  and  boys,  and  youths,  and  old 
men !"  In  the  writings  of  Irenaeus  "born  again"  and  baptism  are 
used  synonymously,  so  that  we  have  in  these  writings  proof  of 
infant  baptism  within  a  few  years  after  the  death  of  John,  the  last 
of  the  Apostles.  In  other  words,  infant  baptism  can  be  traced  as 
far  back  in  the  history  of  the  Church  as  we  have  any  Christian 
literature.  Now,  these  two  introductory  considerations  are  not 
adduced  as  an  argument  in  themselves  establishing  the  right  of 
children  to  baptism  and  church  membership,  but  as  a  presumption 
in  their  favor. 

103 


I. 

The  Covenants  and  the  Children. 

The  baptism  of  children  (which  is  not  admitting  them  to 
church  privileges,  but  is  an  acknowledgement  of  their  birthright 
by  the  church)  finds  its  basis  in  those  covenant  relations  estab- 
lished by  Jehovah  in  his  moral  government,  whether  the  con- 
stitution of  that  government  is  "modified  by  the  covenant  of 
works"  or  "by  the  covenant  of  grace."  This  covenant  is  grounded 
in  the  everlasting  promise  of  a  "covenant-keeping  God."  Was 
there  ever  a  covenant  established  that  did  not  include  children : 
"For  as  by  one  man's  disobedience  many  were  made  sinners,  so 
by  the  obedience  of  one  shall  many  be  made  righteous"  (Rom. 
5:19).  If  Adam  could  represent  his  posterity,  so  that  his  act 
entailed  upon  them  the  curse  of  sin,  "and  death  by  sin,"  and  if 
Christ  could  represent  his  seed,  and  thereby  confer  righteousness, 
and  with  it  eternal  life,  surely  there  can  be  nothing  objectionable 
in  that  plan  which  makes  the  parental  relationship  the  basis  of 
certain  blessings  to  his  offspring ;  and,  as  a  consequence,  the  faith 
of  the  parent  a  sound  reason  and  solid  ground  upon  which  to  rest 
the  baptism  of  the  child. 

They  who  object  to  this  principle  must  arm  themselves  against 
the  divine  economy  in  every  age.  It  is  beyond  dispute  that  children 
were  destroyed  in  the  flood  with  their  parents,  and  that  the  de- 
struction of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  overwhelmed  in  their  ruin 
parents  and  children  alike.  Upon  the  same  principle  it  was  said 
to  Noah,  "Come  thou  and  all  thy  house  into  the  ark :  for  thee  have 
I  seen  righteous."  (Gen.  7:1.)  The  ark  is  usually  regarded  as 
the  type  of  the  church ;  and  yet  Noah's  children  are  sheltered,  not 
on  account  of  their  individual  righteousness,  but  on  his  account 
alone.  It  matters  not  though  it  be  urged  that  Noah's  children 
were  adults.  That  strengthens  the  argument;  for  if  adult  children 
shared  his  salvation  on  account  of  his  righteousness,  much  more 
would  they,  had  they  been  innocent  babes. 

The  covenants  made  with  Noah,  Abraham,  and  Israel  at  various 
times  invariably  included  their  children.  A  specimen  is  furnished 
in  the  institution  of  the  Passover.    As  the  destroying  angel  passed 

104 


through  the  land  on  that  memorable  night,  commissioned  to  smite 
the  first-born  in  every  house  not  protected  by  the  blood-spot  on 
the  door,  guaranteeing  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise,  "When  I  see 
the  blood  I  will  pass  over  you,"  the  life  or  death  of  the  child, 
though  but  an  infant  in  the  cradle,  was  dependent  upon  the  faith 
of  the  parent,  manifested  by  sprinkling  the  blood. 

The  same  principle  may  be  illustrated  by  cases  furnished  in  the 
New  Testament.  By  the  faith  of  the  Syrophenician  woman  her 
daughter  was  healed ;  by  the  faith  of  the  nobleman  of  Capernaum 
his  son  was  restored  to  health;  by  the  faith  of  Jarius,  to  whom 
Christ  said,  "Only  believe,"  his  daughter  was  raised  from  the 
dead ;  by  the  faith  of  the  father,  whose  struggle  between  faith  and 
unbelief  was  so  agonizing  that  he  cried  out,  "Lord,  I  believe,  help 
thou  mine  unbelief,"  his  son  was  delivered  from  the  power  of  the 
demon.  So  likewise  the  spiritual  blessing  conferred  by  Christ  upon 
the  children  of  parents  whose  faith  brought  them  to  Jesus  is  a 
crowning  proof  of  the  principle  stated ;  and  which  is  further 
affirmed  by  Paul :  "Else  were  your  children  unclean,  but  now  they 
are  holy"  (1  Cor.  7:14). 

The  Abraham! c  Covenant. 

"And  I  will  establish  My  covenant  between  Me  and  thee,  and 
thy  seed  after  thee,  in  their  generations,  for  an  everlasting 
covenant,  to  be  a  God  unto  thee  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee  .  .  . 
And  ye  shall  circumcise  the  flesh  of  your  foreskin ;  and  it  shall  be 
a  token  of  the  covenant  betwixt  Me  and  you.  And  he  that  is  eight 
days  old  shall  be  circumcised  among  you."  (Gen.  17 :  7,  11.)  The 
circumcision,  being  the  seal  of  the  righteousness  he  had,  was 
applied,  not  only  to  Abraham,  but  also  to  his  children, — ^the  "ever- 
lasting covenant"  thus  established  being  the  charter  of  the  Church 
of  God.  During  the  patriarchal  dispensation  the  family  contained 
in  its  bosom  two  institutions,  the  state  and  the  church.  From  this 
period  each  is  to  appear  distinct  from  the  family;  and  now  in  the 
family  of  Abraham  the  church  is  to  be  visibly  organized  as  a  cor- 
porate body  gathering  into  itself  many  families:  "And  in  thee 
shall  all  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  Can  any  other  trans- 
action in  the  Scripture  be  found  even  resembling  the  organization 

105 


of  the  church  ?  What  various  and  discordant  answers  are  given  by 
those  who  attempt  to  discover  the  organization  of  the  church  else- 
where in  Scripture.  "The  church  was  founded  by  John  the 
Baptist,"  say  some.  Where  is  the  proof  ?  On  the  contrary,  John 
attempted  no  organization  of  any  kind,  contenting  himself  with  a 
call  to  repentance  as  a  preparation  for  the  coming  Messiah.  "The 
church  was  founded  by  Christ,"  say  others.  Where?  Give  us  the 
chapter  and  verse  showing  anything  resembling  such  an  organiza- 
tion. Instead,  Christ  proclaimed  that  he  had  not  come  to  "destroy" 
and  establish  something  else,  but  to  "fulfill,"  and  on  every  occasion 
recognized  the  existing  church  with  its  ordinances.  "The  church 
was  organised  by  the  Apostles,"  is  the  last  assumption  as  a  dernier 
resort.  On  the  contrary,  they  disclaimed  establishing  anything 
new,  and  at  the  Pentecost  Peter  points  backward  to  the  everlasting 
"promise" — the  church  established  in  Abraham's  family, — and 
exclaims,  "The  promise  is  unto  you  and  to  your  children."  When 
Paul  reminds  the  Ephesians  of  the  time  (as  Gentiles)  they  were 
without  church-membership  and  privileges,  he  does  it  in  a  language 
which  shows  that  the  church  had  previously  existed  among  the 
descendants  of  Abraham :  "That  at  that  time  ye  were  without 
Christ,  being  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel  and 
strangers  from  the  covenants  of  promise"  (Eph.  2:12).  To  the 
Galatians  he  makes  it  even  plainer,  that  Christians  have  not  been 
gathered  into  a  new  church,  but  belong  to  that  of  Abraham. 
"And  if  ye  be  Christ's  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed  and  heirs  ac- 
cording to  the  promise."  (Gal.  3:29.)  We  insist  upon  the 
existence  of  the  church  under  the  Abrahamic  charter,  and  that 
children  were  admitted  to  membership  in  that  church  with  their 
parents.  At  eight  days  old  they  were  circumcised  and  recognized 
as  members  of  the  visible  church  from  the  time  of  Abraham  till 
Christ,  a  period  of  2,000  years. 

11. 

The  Scriptural  Warrant  For  the  Baptism  of  Children. 

The  Circumcision  of  Christ. 

"And  when  eight  days  were  accomplished  for  the  circumcising 
of  the  child,  his  name  was  called  Jesus"  (Luke  2:  21).    Through- 

106 


out  the  Old  Testament  children  were  circumcised  and  endowed 
with  many  privileges  of  church  membership.  Now,  the  question 
is:  Has  infant  membership  been  abolished  in  the  New  Testament? 
If  so,  where?  By  whom?  Everything  in  the  Old  Testament  not 
fulfilled  or  abrogated  must  stand.  What  precept  or  practice  of 
the  New  Testament  in  the  slightest  conflicts  with  this  principle? 
That  would  be  a  strong  presumption  of  its  continuance  even  if 
the  New  Testament  were  entirely  silent  about  the  matter — ^but, 
on  the  contrary  the  New  Testament  abounds  with  facts  and  pre- 
cepts, supporting  the  right  of  the  children  to  baptism  and  church 
privileges.  First  of  all,  we  have  the  pious  parents  of  Jesus  with 
the  seal  of  circumcision,  recognizing  his  right  to  membership  in 
the  visible  church  as  soon  as  he  was  eight  days  old.  When  so  much 
is  said  about  "following  the  example  of  Christ,"  why  not  "follow 
Him"  into  the  church  in  infancy,  if  we  have  pious  parents  to  claim 
for  us  the  privileges  conferred  upon  Jesus  when  eight  days  old? 
Is  it  anywhere  intimated  that  Jesus  disapproved  of  what  was  done 
for  Him  by  His  parents  by  reason  of  their  faith  in  a  "covenant- 
keeping  God"  ?  Did  it  interfere  with  his  piety  or  personal  religion 
that  He  had  been  dedicated  to  God  in  His  infancy  and  received 
upon  His  person  the  seal  of  the  covenant?  Is  it  possible  to  believe 
that  He  was  never  admitted  into  the  Church  till  His  baptism  at 
thirty  years  of  age,  which  was  His  consecration  to  priesthood? 
What,  then,  did  He  mean  by  reminding  His  parents  when  only 
twelve  years  old  that  He  must  be  about  his  "Father's  business"? 
If  it  be  said  that  circumcision  only  recognized  His  right  to  mem- 
bership in  the  Jewish  Church,  we  answer  that  the  Jewish  Church 
was  the  Church  of  God.  God  has  never  had  but  one  church  in 
this  world.  The  Jewish  Church  and  the  Christian  Church  are  but 
one  and  the  same  church  under  different  dispensations. 

If  the  church  of  the  Old  Testament  and  the  church  of  the  New 
have  the  same  theology,  the  same  instrumentality  of  salvation,  the 
same  sacraments  and  the  same  constitution,  the  conclusion  is 
irresistible  that  it  must  be  the  same  church,  the  Church  of  Christ 
under  all  dispensations  and,  consequently,  if  children  had  the 
privilege  of  church  membership  in  the  Old  Testament,  their  rights 
must  remain,  unless  it  can  be  shown  in  the  New  Testament  that 

107 


they  are  now  for  the  first  time  in  its  history  to  be  excluded  from 
the  church.  There  is  a  distinct  record  of  the  struggle  with  which 
the  church  resisted  the  giving  up  of  circumcision.  If  they  had 
been  called  upon  to  give  up  the  privileges  their  children  had  always 
enjoyed  in  the  church,  would  not  there  likewise  have  been  some 
record  of  their  protest? 

Christ  and  the  Children. 

"And  there  were  brought  unto  Him  also  infants  that  He  would 
touch  them"  (Luke  18:15).  "Little  children"  (Matt.  19:13). 
"Young  children"  (Mark  10:  13).  "Suffer  little  children"  (Matt. 
Mark  and  Luke).  "And  his  disciples  rebuked  those  that  brought 
them.  But  when  Jesus  saw  it  He  was  much  displeased,  and  said 
unto  them  .  .  .  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God  .  .  .  And 
He  took  them  up  in  His  arms  and  put  His  hands  upon  them  and 
blessed  them"  (Mark  10:13-16).  "Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
Heaven"  (Matt.  19:  13).  It  is  not  claimed  that  it  was  some  tem- 
poral blessing  conferred  or  bodily  infirmity  healed,  but  it  is 
universally  admitted  that  Christ's  blessing  in  this  case  was  spiritual. 
Then,  after  all,  "unconscious  infants"  are  capable  of  receiving  the 
blessings  of  our  Saviour.  Are  pious  parents  excluded  from  the 
privilege  of  now  bringing  their  offspring  to  the  Saviour  for  His 
benediction?  Has  He  so  changed  since  His  ascension  to  heaven 
that  He  who  "took  them  up  in  His  arms,"  has  no  longer  any  bless- 
ing for  our  little  ones  in  their  infancy? 

If  Christ  rebuked  his  disciples  for  forbidding  the  approach  of 
infants,  who  will  merit  today  the  rebuke  of  the  Master  for  re- 
sisting the  claims  of  the  children?  But  some  insist  that  these 
"infants"  were  the  youth  of  the  land,  old  enough  to  appreciate  the 
blessing  of  Christ,  just  as  if  our  Master  could  not  bless  "uncon- 
scious infants."  Such  an  explanation  is,  however,  robbed  of  its 
force  by  the  fact  that  Jesus  "took  them  up  in  his  arms,"  which 
demonstrated  beyond  a  doubt  their  infancy.  It  is  not  claimed 
that  Christ  baptized  these  children,  for  He  did  not  baptize  any, 
either  children  or  adults  (John  4:2),  but  He  did  distinctly  and 
emphatically  proclaim  their  church  membership  when  he  declared : 
"Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."     What  is  the  "kingdom  of 

108 


heaven"?  Is  it  the  church  on  earth?  If  so,  then  we  have  the 
statement  of  the  "Head  of  the  Church"  that  children  are  included 
within  the  pale  of  His  Church.  Is  it  the  church  in  heaven?  If 
so,  then  the  church  of  earth,  which  admits  children  to  a  place  in 
the  fold,  is  nearest  in  resemblance,  at  least  in  this  respect,  to  the 
church  of  heaven.  Does  not  the  "kingdom  of  heaven"  or  "king- 
dom of  God,"  include  both,  being  the  church  on  earth  under  all  the 
various  dispensations  and  the  church  in  glory?  All  Christians 
sing: 

"The  saints  on  earth  and  all  the  dead, 
But  one  communion  make, 
All  join  in  Christ,  the  living  Head, 
And  of  His  grace  partake. 
One  family  we  dwell  in  Him, 
One  church,  above,  beneath,"  etc. 

This  is  Scriptural  doctrine,  for  Paul  announces :  "Of  whom  the 
whole  family  in  heaven  and  earth  is  named"  (Eph.  3 :  15).  Christ 
is  sufficient  authority  that  children  belong  to  this  "family,"  "for  of 
such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  But  we  are  told  that  this  language 
does  not  mean  that  children  belong  to  the  church  but  that  Christ 
only  meant  "such"  characters:  "Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the 
kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child  shall  in  no  wise  enter  therein" 
(Luke  18: 17).  That  would  then  be  the  most  remarkable  state- 
ment in  all  the  Bible!  It  would  be  equivalent  to  saying  the 
characters  of  those  within  the  church  must  be  like  a  certain  class 
who  are  zvithout  the  church !  On  the  contrary,  Christ  makes  two 
distinct  statements,  which  must  not  for  a  moment  be  confounded : 
( 1 )  He  affirms  of  the  children  in  his  arms,  "Of  such  is  the  king- 
dom of  heaven,"  thereby  establishing  their  place  in  the  New 
Testament  Church  as  well  as  in  the  same  church  of  a  former  dis- 
pensation. (2)  He  announces  that  these  infant  members  of  "the 
kingdom"  furnish  a  type  of  character  to  which  adult  members 
must  conform :  "Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God 
as  a  little  child,"  etc. 

How  can  any  one,  therefore,  for  an  instant  twist  the  plain  lan- 
guage of  Christ  into  this  shape :  "Suffer  the  little  children  to  come 

109 


unto  me"  for  a  blessing,  because  adults  with  child-like  characters 
alone  belong  to  "the  kingdom" !  And  having  made  that  statement 
should  immediately  proceed  to  draw  an  inference  from  the  fore- 
going, which  is  identical  with  the  first  statement!  What,  then  is 
the  difference  between  the  statement,  "Of  such  (characters)  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven"  and  the  inference  (from  the  statement) 
that  such  characters  alone  belong  to  the  kingdom,  "Whoever  shall 
not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child"  ?  The  only  way 
out  of  such  a  tangled  maze  is  to  keep  distinct  and  unconfounded 
the  two  statements  of  Christ.  (1)  Infant  membership  in  the 
kingdom,  "Of  such  is  the  kingdom";  and  (2)  The  child-like 
character  required  of  adults,  "Whosoever  shall  not  receive  .  .  . 
as  a  little  child."  If,  then,  Christ  received  and  blessed  the  children, 
and  recognized  their  privileges  in  His  church,  we  have  the  same 
warrant  as  those  parents  for  bringing  our  oflFspring  for  His 
blessing  to  that  Jesus,  who  is  "the  same  yesterday  and  today  and 
forever." 

The  Fold  and  the  Lambs. 

''And  other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of  this  fold:  them  also 
I  must  bring  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice ;  and  there  shall  be  one 
fold  and  one  shepherd"  (John  10:16).  "Feed  my  lambs"  (John 
21:15).  There  can  be  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  any  that  the 
"fold"  is  the  church.  The  command  given  Peter  by  the  Shepherd 
of  the  fold  implies  that  Christ  has  "lambs."  The  command  to 
the  church  through  Peter  to  "feed"  means  something  more  than 
giving  spiritual  instruction,  but  includes  all  a  shepherd's  care  of 
governing,  guiding  and  feeding.  Now  the  question  is,  are  those 
"lambs"  within  the  "fold"  or  are  they  outside  of  the  "fold"? 
Does  any  shepherd  erect  a  fold  for  the  sheep  and  make  no  pro- 
vision for  the  lambs  ?  Is  there  no  place  in  Christ's  "fold"  for  the 
"lambs"?  If  "the  Lord  is  my  shepherd,"  is  there  no  provision  for 
my  child,  and  must  we  for  years  be  separated  by  the  very  walls  of 
the  "fold"  itself?  If  the  church  is  commanded  to  "feed"  His 
lambs  and  to  "feed"  His  sheep,  are  the  sheep  to  be  fed  ivithin  the 
fold  and  the  lambs  to  be  fed  without?  Sheep  are  never  lambs,  but 
lambs  are  always  sheep  and  entitled  to  all  the  privileges  of  the 

110 


sheep.  Most  of  these  arguments  are  intended  to  establish  first  of 
all  infant  membership  in  the  church,  because  if  they  are  in  the 
kingdom,  who  shall  forbid  us  applying  the  seal  of  the  kingdom 
(the  ordinance  of  baptism),  which  recognises  their  right  to  a  place 
in  the  church?  Infant  church  membership  and  infant  baptism 
cannot  be  separated.  Having  then  established  conclusively  by 
Scripture  that  God's  Church  has  in  every  age  included  in  its  fold 
the  children,  that  fact  establishes  their  right  to  baptism. 

Pentecost  and  the  Promise. 

"Repent  and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you  .  .  .  for  the 
promise  is  unto  you  and  to  your  children"  (Acts  2:38,  39).  So 
spoke  Peter  at  Pentecost,  who  had  received  from  Christ  the  com- 
mand "Feed  my  lambs."  To  what  "promise"  could  Peter  possibly 
refer,  except  that  made  to  "Abraham  and  his  seed"  ?  In  the  very 
next  chapter  when  he  again  commands  to  "repent"  he  quotes 
part  of  the  "promise"  to  Abraham:  "And  in  thy  seed  shall  all 
the  kindreds  of  the  earth  be  blessed"  (Acts  3 :  25).  According  to 
Peter  then,  the  Abrahamic  charter  of  the  church  is  not  revoked, 
but  the  "everlasting  covenant"  remains  in  force.  Paul  asserts  the 
same  thing  time  and  again :  "Know  ye  therefore  that  they  which 
are  of  faith,  the  same  are  the  children  of  Abraham"  (Gal.  3:7). 
"So  then,  they  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed  with  faithful  Abra- 
ham" (Gal.  3:9).  "And  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's 
seed  and  heirs  according  to  promise"  (Gal.  3:29).  But  if  the 
"everlasting  covenant"  still  stands,  then  children  still  retain  their 
privilege  under  that  covenant.  Peter's  language  at  Pentecost  is 
very  striking  and  significant.  In  the  very  same  connection  in 
which  he  suggests  baptism,  he  includes  children:  "Unto  you  and 
to  your  children."  If  a  bequest  were  left  us  with  the  express 
provision — "unto  you  and  to  your  children,"  there  would  be  no 
difficulty  in  understanding  that  the  children  must  share  it.  If 
then,  Peter  says,  "Be  baptized  every  one  of  you  ...  for  the 
promise  is  unto  you  and  to  your  children,"  how  can  the  conclusion 
be  escaped  that  the  children  must  share  that  baptism  ?  What  more 
"explicit  command"  could  we  desire  than  the  plain  statement  of 
Peter,  that  the  "everlasting  covenant"  with  Abraham  still  exists; 

111 


and  in  the  very  command  to   "be  baptized,"    Peter   makes   the 
appHcation — "unto  you  and  to  your  children." 

But  the  objection  is  here  raised,  that  it  says  "Repent  and  be 
baptized,"  and  as  the  children  cannot  "repent,"  therefore  they  are 
excluded  from  baptism ;  and  it  is  further  said,  "He  that  believeth 
and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved"  (Mark  16:  16)  ;  and  now  as  chil- 
dren cannot  believe  they  therefore  ought  not  to  be  baptized.  The 
reply  is,  if  that  rules  children  out  of  the  privilege  of  baptism,  it 
also,  for  the  same  reason,  would  prevent  their  salvation,  for  it  is 
said  "He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved ;  but  he  that 
believeth  not  shall  be  damned/'  So  that  if  children  cannot  "be- 
lieve" in  order  to  be  "baptized"  neither  can  they  "believe"  in  order 
to  be  "saved."  If  such  texts, — which  insist  on  faith  and  re- 
pentance, are  quoted  to  prove  the  impossibility  of  believing,  even 
in  the  face  of  "he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned" — is  no  bar- 
rier to  their  salvation,  then  we  are  compelled  to  admit  that  neither 
is  the  impossibility  of  believing  any  barrier  to  their  baptism.  If 
that  text  requires  faith  in  order  to  baptism,  it  just  as  plainly  re- 
quires faith  in  order  to  salvation.  If,  then  that  text  will  allow 
the  salvation  of  infants  without  believing,  it  will  also  allow  the 
baptism  of  infants  without  believing. 

Circumcision  and  Baptsim. 

"In  whom  ye  are  also  circumcised  with  the  circumcision  made 
without  hands,  .  .  .  buried  with  Him  in  baptism"  (Col.  2:  11). 
Paul  here  alludes  to  the  identity  of  the  two  sacraments,  circum- 
cision and  baptism.  We  have  already  spoken  of  the  fact  that  they 
have  the  same  significance, — circumcision  teaching  the  necessity  of 
regeneration  and  purification,  and  baptism  signifying  the  same 
thing,  "the  washing  of  regeneration."  The  language  of  Paul 
plainly  implies  that  circumcision  gives  place  to  baptism.  Then 
we  need  only  inquire  who  were  circumcised,  in  order  to  determine 
who  should  be  baptized;  and  as  children  were  always  included 
with  their  parents  in  one  they  should  therefore  share  in  the  other. 

Here  another  objection  demands  answer :  "None  except  males 
were  circumcised,  therefore  none  but  males  ought  to  be  baptized." 
That  would  be  good  logic,  if  we  had  nothing  except  an  inference 

112 


warranting  female  baptism;  but  we  have  elsewhere  in  the  New 
Testament  other  facts,  which  justify  the  baptism  of  females.  The 
baptism  of  Lydia  and  others  relieves  us  of  all  the  force  of  this 
objection.  Because  one  among  the  many  arguments  for  infant 
baptism  is  the  "good  and  necessary  inference,"  that  infant  circum- 
cision necessitated  infant  baptism,  it  is  not  therefore  become  null 
and  void,  because  we  learn  elsewhere  in  Scripture  that  females 
share  baptism.  In  England  the  eldest  son  inherits  the  title  of  the 
father,  but  if  the  law  should  be  so  enlarged  as  to  include  the  other 
children  in  the  title,  that  would  not  make  void  the  rights  of  the 
first-born  and  all  the  rest  to  the  title.  The  enlargement  of  the 
number  does  not  vitiate  the  rights  of  all  to  the  inheritance.  The 
objection  is  really  against  drawing  inferences  from  the  circum- 
cision of  children  to  the  baptism  of  children;  and  yet  they  who 
object  to  the  inference  cannot  produce  one  of  equal  force  for 
admission  of  females  to  the  Lord's  Supper.  The  Church  uni- 
versally admits  females  to  the  communion  and  their  only  warrant 
is  an  inference  not  so  strong  as  that  which  justifies  infant  baptism. 
If  the  objector  justifies  females  at  the  Lord's  Supper  by  quoting: 
"Their  is  neither  male  nor  female;  for  ye  are  all  one  in  Christ 
Jesus"  (Gal.  3:28),  then  that  same  text  will  answer  his  own 
objection  about  baptizing  none  but  males,  and  so  he  is  made  to 
devour  himself. 

The  Status  of  Children. 

"Else  were  your  children  unclean,  but  now  they  are  holy,"  (L 
Cor.  7:14).  If  this  language  has  any  meaning  at  all,  it  plainly 
signifies  that  the  ecclesiastical  status  of  the  parent  determines  that 
of  the  child.  The  meaning  of  this  text  depends  upon  the  meaning 
of  its  two  designations — "unclean"  (akatharta)  and  "holy" 
(hagia).  The  first  appears  numerously  in  Scriptures,  and  is 
almost  invariably  used  for  what  is  ceremonially  unclean,  and  for 
that  reason  excluded  from  the  congregation ;  and  the  remedy  for 
this  uncleanliness  was  nearly  always  the  application  of  water. 
So  that  when  Paul  says,  "Else  were  your  children  unclean,"  it 
had  exactly  the  same  signification  to  a  Jew  as  if  he  had  said, 
else  were  your  children  unbaptized.     So  the  other  word  "holy" 

lis 


here  used  to  describe  children  of  church  members  is  the  identical 
word  frequently  employed  for  church  members  themselves,  and 
translated  "saints".  It  is  thus  used  in  the  New  Testament  sixty- 
two  times,  and  eleven  of  them  in  the  Epistles  to  this  Corinthian 
church.  So  if  we  were  to  translate  this  word,  as  it  is  so  frequent- 
ly translated  in  the  New  Testament,  it  would  read,  "But  now 
are  they  saints,"  exactly  what  their  parents  are  called.  The  same 
word  "saints"  being  thus  applied,  not  only  to  church  members, 
but  also  to  their  children,  shows  that  the  relationship  of  the  parent 
to  the  Church  determines  the  relationship  of  the  child  to  the 
Church. 

The  First  Baptism. 

"And  were  all  baptized  unto  Moses."  (I  Cor.  10:2.)  This  text 
is  valuable,  not  only  as  furnishing  an  apostolic  example  of  the  use 
of  the  word  "baptism"  where  immersion  is  out  of  the  question,  but 
also  as  furnishing  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  baptism  of  chil- 
dren. If  they  were  all  baptized,  were  the  children  included  or 
specially  excluded  ?  Or  will  some  one  undertake  to  say  that  there 
were  no  children  in  those  "households"  that  crossed  the  Red  Sea  ? 
At  the  Red  Sea  there  is  nothing  indicating  a  figurative  baptism. 
The  Israelites — men,  women  and  children — were  the  subjects. 
Were  they  figures  of  speech?  The  water  was  real,  and  not  a 
figure.  "Baptized  unto  Moses."  Was  he  a  figure  of  speach?  If  Paul 
had  spoken  of  the  immersed  Egyptians  as  all  being  baptized, 
there  would  have  been  no  effort  then  to  force  the  language  of 
Paul  out  of  its  natural  and  obvious  sense  into  the  constraint  of 
figure,  Paul  was  not  indulging  in  "Figures  of  speech,"  but  deal- 
ing with  plain  facts,  when  he  asserts  that  they  were  "baptized 
unto  Moses" — baptized  into  an  acceptance  of  him  as  their  divinely 
appointed  leader.  Whether  "figurative"  or  not,  the  children  shared 
this  baptism  with  their  fathers;  and  as  infant  baptism  always 
means  their  instruction,  in  this  instance  they  were  trained  in  all 
that  is  implied  in  being  "baptized  unto  Moses" ;  and  they  were  the 
only  part  of  that  host  "baptized"  who  reached  the  land  of  promise. 

114 


Household  Baptisms. 

"And  when  she  (Lydia)  was  baptized  and  her  household" 
(Acts.  16:17).  "And  was  baptized,  he  (jailor)  and  all  his, 
straightaway"  (Acts  16:33).  "And  I  baptize  also  the  household 
of  Stephanas"  (I  Cor.  1:16).  Here  we  have  the  word  of  God 
announcing  the  baptism  of  three  entire  families ;  and  still  another 
household,  that  of  Cornelius,  seems  from  the  record  to  have  been 
baptized,  although  not  so  plainly  stated  (Acts  10:44-48).  Now, 
we  are  gravely  told  by  some,  that  there  were  no  children  in  any 
of  these  various  households!  Where  is  the  proof?  The  prob- 
bility  that  there  were  children  is  so  strong  that  it  falls  little  short 
of  absolute  certainty.  It  would  not  occcur  once  in  a  thousand 
that  you  could  take  at  random  three  or  four  families  from  among 
any  people,  and  there  be  found  no  children  in  a  single  one  of  that 
number. 

It  is  said  the  whole  family  were  believers.  For  example,  that 
the  jailor  "rejoiced,  believing  in  God  with  all  his  house"  (Acts 
16:34).  It  does  have  that  appearance,  so  long  as  we  look  only 
at  the  English  translation,  but  such  a  consideration  forever  dis- 
appears the  moment  we  look  at  the  Greek  as  written  by  Luke. 
There  we  discover  that  "believing"  is  in  the  singular  number, 
masculine  gender,  and  can  refer  only  to  the  jailor,  so  that  accord- 
ing to  Luke  he  alone  is  said  to  have  believed.  It  matters  not 
whether  his  children  believed  or  not,  the  Word  of  God  does  not 
affirm  that  they  did,  but  grounds  their  baptism  solely  upon  the 
fact  that  he  believed,  and  hence  "all  his"  were  baptized. 

It  is  remarkable  that  nothing  is  said  of  household  baptisms  in 
the  New  Testament,  until  the  Gentiles  and  heathen  begin  to  be 
converted.  Not  until  Peter  admitted  the  Gentile  Cornelius  is  it 
hinted.  Not  until  Paul  leaves  Asia  and  preaches  in  Europe  and 
Gentiles  begin  to  come  in,  is  it  plainly  stated.  The  Jews  were 
familiar  with  the  principle  of  children  sharing  with  their  parents 
church  privileges,  and  among  them  it  causes  no  astonishment, 
and  only  among  the  Gentiles  is  the  matter  considered  of  sufficient 
importance  that  Luke  and  Paul  record  the  fact.  These  household 
baptisms  are  stronger  proofs  of  the  rights  of  children  to  baptism 
than  any  command  which  could  have  been  given;  for  if  it  had 
been  said,  Baptize  the  children,  every  one  knows  that  there  is 

115 


not  a  word  in  Greek  for  "child,"  but  may  apply  to  youth.  So  it 
would  be  interpreted  to  mean  children  old  enough  to  make  a 
profession  of  religion,  just  as  is  attempted  by  some  in  reference 
to  the  children  blessed  by  Christ.  But  when  we  have  example 
after  example  in  the  Bible  of  household  baptisms,  >ve  have  proof 
of  infant  baptism  in  that  fact,  which  cannot  be  set  aside.  The 
argument  which  has  been  accumulating  at  every  step ;  as  we 
witnessed  the  circumcision  of  children  throughout  the  Old  Testa- 
ment— thereby  guaranteeing  to  them  membership  in  the  visible 
Church;  then  with  Christ  Himself  affirming  the  same,  "Of  such 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven" ;  with  Peter  at  Pentecost,  commanding 
baptism  with  the  assurance ;  "The  promise  is  unto  you  and  to  your 
children" ;  now  reaches  its  complete  demonstration  in  the  bap- 
tism of  various  households. 

When  everything  else  fails  the  objector,  then  he  raises  the 
question:  What  good  will  a  little  water  to  an  "unconscious 
babe"?  This  suggests  that  there  has  never  been  any  objection 
to  infant  baptism,  but  may  very  appropriately  be  urged  against 
their  circumcision  as  well.  Why  not  ask,  what  good  will  circum- 
cision do  the  "unconscious  babe"?  We  reply  to  the  objector  by 
saying,  the  baptism  of  the  child  does  exactly  the  same  amount 
of  good  that  the  baptism  of  the  adult  does.  Water  baptism  is 
simply  symbolical;  and  if  it  can  represent  the  cleansing  of  an 
adult,  why  can  it  not  just  as  appropriately  symbolize  the  cleansing 
of  the  child?  The  regeneration  of  an  adult  is  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  in  which  he  is  passive,  as  is  the  child  in  its  regenera- 
tion by  the  Spirit.  The  adult  regenerated  becomes  a  "babe  in 
Christ."  The  Spirit  of  God  can  and  does  regenerate  children  as 
well  as  adults,  for  children  who  die  in  infancy  are  regenerated 
for  heaven.  John  the  Baptist  and  Jeremiah  were  regenerated 
in  infancy  (Jer.  1:5,  Luke  1:15).  Whilst  repudiating  bap- 
tismal regeneration,"  we  argue  that  if  baptism  symbolizes  the 
regenerating  work  of  the  Spirit,  and  children  are  as  often  the 
subjects  of  regenerating  grace  as  adults,  then  their  baptism  is 
just  as  appropriate,  and  does  the  same  amount  of  good  as  the 
baptism  of  adults. 

116 


Infant  Baptism  vs.  Infant  Salvation. 

In  conclusion  the  very  same  arguments  which  prove  infant 
salvation,  also  establish  infant  baptism.  The  Scriptures  do  not 
assert  the  salvation  of  infants,  but  it  may  be  proved  by  "good  and 
necessary  inferences"  from  Scriptures,  and  no  one  objects  to  the 
proof.  Now  let  any  one  sum  up  the  proofs  for  infant  salvation, 
and  every  one  will  apply  equally  to  infant  baptism.  The  argu- 
ments for  infant  baptism  and  infant  salvation  stand  or  fall 
together;  and  the  Scriptural  proofs  of  infant  baptism  are  an  ad- 
ditional guarantee  of  their  salvation. 

Bring  in  then  the  children  into  their  Father's  house,  that  these 
infant  plants  may  grow  in  the  garden  of  the  Lord  into  "trees  of 
righteousness,"  bearing  "much  fruit."  It  is  a  difficult  process  to 
transplant  a  full-grown  tree.  "Those  that  be  planted  in  the  house 
of  the  Lord  shall  flourish  in  the  courts  of  our  God.  They  shall 
still  bring  forth  fruit  in  old  age ;  they  shall  be  fat  and  flourishing ; 
to  show  that  the  Lord  is  upright."   (Psalm  XCII,   13-15.) 


117 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
3l^vtsSbpttviani9im  in  Action. 

"By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them,"  is  the  most  reliable  test 
of  character, — enunciated  in  the  Sermon  on  *^he  Mount.  Individu- 
als must  submit  to  this  criterion  at  the  bar  of  public  opinion  and 
eventually  at  the  Judgment  throne  of  God.  Systems  of  phil- 
osophy and  of  religion  are  subjected  to  a  similar  test  of  the 
Master — "Wisdom  is  justified  of  her  children." 

Presbyterianism  most  willingly  accepts  this  challenge  and  sub- 
mits its  Calvinistic  creed  to  this  reasonable  test.  It  is  no  untried 
modern  system  which  has  demonstrated  its  practical  wisdom  in 
a  few  favorable  circumstances  only  or  on  some  auspicious  occa- 
sion. It  belongs  to  the  ages.  It  has  won  its  way  in  all  the  coun- 
tries of  the  globe.  It  has  commanded  the  admiration  of  the  pro- 
foundest  students  of  God's  Word,  commended  by  the  greatest 
philosophers  of  the  earth,  and  accepted  by  the  most  learned  his- 
torians. Friends  and  foes  have  testified  alike  to  its  unrivaled 
achievements  in  every  field  of  service  and  its  unsurpassed  attain- 
ments in  the  moral  and  spiritual  spheres  of  being.  Specimens  of 
its  achievement  in  civil  and  spiritual  hemispheres  are  herein  cited 
as  illustrations ;  and  testimonies  of  the  most  distinguished  scholars 
are  quoted  in  proof  of  its  influence  in  shaping  the  destiny  of  indi- 
viduals and  of  nations.  The  mass  of  material  is,  however,  so  vast 
and  varied  that  the  greatest  embarrassment  confronts  in  choosing 
between  equally  impressive  facts  and  testimony. 

Creeds  and  Character. 

Ideas  rule  the  world,  Thought  is  more  powerful  than  "an  army 
with  banners."  Creeds  create  character  consistent  with  their 
ideals.  It  is  not  a  mere  coincidence  that  Calvinism  has  ruled  the 
world.  Cause  and  eflFect  operate  not  simply  in  the  physical  world 
but  as  well  in  the  metaphysical  and  in  the  spiritual.  It  is  not 
accidental  that  Arminian  theology  is  universally  associated  with 

118 


monarchy,  while  Calvinism,  on  the  other  hand,  is  the  natural 
ally  of  the  largest  liberty  of  the  individual. 

Buckle,  who,  himself  a  fatalist,  cannot  be  charged  with  par- 
tiality toward  any  church,  says :  "It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the 
doctrines  which  in  England  are  called  Calvinistic  have  always 
been  connected  with  a  democratic  spirit,  while  those  of  Arminian- 
ism  have  found  most  favor  among  the  aristocratic,  or  protective, 
party.  In  the  Republics,  of  Switzerland,  of  North  America  and 
of  Holland,  Calvinism  was  always  the  popular  creed." 

Very  naturally,  therefore,  Arminianism,  taking  on  an  aristo- 
cratic form  of  church  government,  tends  toward  monarchy  in 
civil  affairs,  while  Calvinism,  taking  to  a  republican  form  of 
church  government  as  inevitably  tends  toward  a  democracy  in  civil 
affairs.  In  the  religious,  as  well  as  in  the  natural  world,  every- 
thing bears  fruit  "after  its  kind." 

I. 

Calvinism  and  Liberty. 

The  torch  lighted  by  John  Calvin  gave  to  the  world  the  twin 
product  of  republicanism  in  the  state  and  the  free  Christian 
commonwealth  in  the  church.  On  its  political  side,  it  found  ex- 
pression in  the  republicanism  of  Geneva,  Switzerland,  Holland, 
Great  Britain  and  America,  and  in  its  ever-widening  influence 
has  made  itself  felt  even  in  autocratic  Russia  and  despotic  Turkey. 

It  was  Calvinism  which  lifted  Geneva  from  the  depths  of  civic 
and  moral  degradation,  and  placed  it,  as  a  glittering  gem  of  civil 
and  religious  liberty,  on  the  brow  of  Europe, — the  first  fruits  of 
a  new  philosophy  destined  to  revolutionize  society  and  human 
governments.  It  was  Calvinism  which,  through  the  instrumen- 
tality of  John  Knox,  awakened  Scotland  to  a  higher  life;  which 
hurled  the  stool  of  Jennie  Geddes  at  tyrannical  encroachments 
upon  religious  liberty,  and  made  the  sturdy  Scotch  character  the 
staunchest  and  grandest  national  life  the  world  has  ever  pro- 
duced. It  was  Calvinism  which  took  off  the  head  of  Charles  I 
and  gave  England  in  the  Protectorate  of  Oliver  Cromwell  the 
first  full  breath  of  constitutional  liberty,  and  at  the  same  time 

119 


furnished  that  larger  protectorate  to  struggling  Protestantism 
throughout  Europe,  making  that  era  the  brightest  chapter  in 
English  history.  It  was  Calvinism  which  waged  successfully 
under  William  the  Silent,  the  unequal  contest  of  Holland  with 
Spain,  and  created  the  Dutch  Republic,  which  eventually  hurled 
the  Stuarts  from  the  throne  of  England,  and  guaranteed  consti- 
tutional and  religious  liberty  to  the  English-speaking  world.  It 
was  Calvinism  which  founded  in  America  the  greatest  of  Repub- 
lics, and  made  it  the  Liberator  of  Cuba  and  the  Phillipines,  and 
the  protector  of  the  weaker  members  in  the  family  of  nations. 
It  is  Calvinism  which,  through  the  agency  of  Robert  College  on 
the  Bosphorous  and  Presbyterian  missions  in  the  East,  is  leaven- 
ing the  Ottoman  Empire,  and  giving  even  the  Turk  a  taste  of 
constitutional  liberty. 

In  the  historic  conflict  of  the  ages,  Calvinism  was  vanquished 
in  France,  in  the  defeat  of  the  Huguenots ;  and  as  a  consequence 
France,  the  Fatherland  of  John  Calvin,  descended  almost  to  the 
level  of  Spain.  If  Spain  had  triumphed  in  Holland,  in  all  human 
probability  Calvinism  would  have  perished  from  the  earth,  and 
Holland  would  also  have  joined  France  and  Spain  in  a  trio  of 
reactionary  nations.  In  that  case,  William  of  Orange  would  never 
have  turned  the  scale  against  the  Stuarts  in  Britain;  and  North 
America  would  read  its  fate  today  in  the  stagnation  of  South 
America.  So  that  the  glory  of  North  America  is  due  chiefly  to 
the  triumph  of  Calvinism,  justifying  Ranke,  the  historian,  in 
speaking  of  Calvin  as  "virtual  founder  of  America." 

France. 

This  claim,  that  it  was  the  revolutionary  principles  of  John 
Calvin, — first  embodied  and  practiced  in  the  Republic  of  Geneva, — 
which  radiated  into  all  the  world,  is  abundantly  substantiated  by 
an  appeal  to  history  and  to  the  testimony  of  the  profoundest 
thinkers  and  students  of  all  shades  of  opinion. 

"Calvin's  true  home,"  as  Schaff  says,  "was  the  church  of  God. 
He  broke  through  all  national  limitations.  There  was  scarcely 
a  monarch  or  statesman  or  scholar  of  his  age  with  whom  he  did 
not  come  in  contact.     Every  people  of  Europe  was  represented 

120 


among  his  disciples.  He  helped  to  shape  the  religious  character 
of  churches  and  nations  as  yet  unborn.  The  Huguenots  of 
France,  the  Protestants  of  Holland  and  Belgium,  the  Puritans  and 
Independents  of  England  and  New  England,  the  Presbyterians 
of  Scotland  and  throughout  the  world,  yea,  we  may  say,  the  whole 
Anglo-Saxon  race,  in  its  prevailing  religious  character  and  insti- 
tutions, bear  the  impress  of  his  genius,  and  show  the  power  and 
tenacity  of  his  doctrines  and  principles  of  government." 

Its  temporary  defeat  in  France  displacing  the  leadership  of  the 
Huguenots  did  not  detract  from  the  glory  of  their  heroic  struggle 
but  simply  transferred  the  fight  to  other  fields.  According  to  the 
eminent  historian  Lecky,  himself  a  cold-blooded  rationalist,  the 
Huguenots  were  "the  most  solid,  the  most  modest,  the  most  vir- 
tuous, the  most  generally  enlightened  element  in  the  French 
nation." 

The  furious  persecution  that  raged  against  them — of  which 
the  massacre  was  a  part  and  a  sample — destroyed  or  exiled 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  Huguenots.  The  loss  to  France  was 
irreparable.  "It  prepared  the  way,"  says  Lecky,  "for  the  inevita- 
ble degradation  of  the  national  character  and  removed  the  last 
serious  bulwark  that  might  have  broken  the  force  of  that  torrent 
of  scepticism  and  vice,  which,  a  century  later,  laid  prostrate  in 
merited  ruin,  both  the  altar  and  the  throne." 

"Freedom's  battle  once  begun, 
Bequeath'd  by  bleeding  sire  to  son, 
Tho  baffled  oft,  is  ever  won." 

Holland. 

In  Holland  the  infamous  Duke  of  Alva,  backed  by  Spain,  the 
greatest  power  of  the  day,  slaughtered  the  Saints  of  God  and 
oppressed  the  people  according  to  his  tyrannical  will.  In  William 
the  Silent,  however,  Calvinism  was  preparing  a  leader  to  fight  the 
battles  of  freedom  which  not  only  liberated  Holland,  but  made  its 
heroic  struggle  the  sublime  inspiration  to  the  oppressed  of  all  the 
ages.  In  the  siege  of  Leyden  the  beleaguered  band  reduced  in 
numbers  and  suffering  the  pangs  of  famine,  were  sustained  solely 

121 


by  their  invincible  will  and  their  Calvinistic  faith.  To  the  sum- 
mons to  surrender,  undaunted  they  replied:  "As  long  as  you 
hear  the  mew  of  a  cat  or  the  bark  of  a  dog  you  may  know  that 
the  city  holds  out.  And  when  all  have  perished  but  ourselves,  we 
will  devour  our  left  arms,  retaining  our  right  to  defend  our  women, 
our  liberty,  and  our  religion  against  the  foreign  tyrant."  No  won- 
der Campbell,  writing  of  the  Puritans  in  Holland,  England  and 
America,  says  of  this  struggle  in  Holland :  '*Out  from  this  war  of 
eighty  years*  duration  emerged  a  republic,  for  two  centuries  the 
greatest  in  the  world,  a  republic  which  was  the  instructor  of  the 
world  in  art,  and  whose  corner-stone  was  religious  toleration  for 
all  man-kind."  Motky,  the  Historian,  credits  Calvinism  with  the 
victory,  affirming :  "The  doctrine  of  predestination,  the  conscious- 
ness of  being  chosen  soldiers  of  Christ,  inspired  the  Puritans 
(Calvinists)  who  founded  the  commonwealths  of  England,  of 
Holland,  and  of  America,  with  a  contempt  of  toil,  danger,  and 
death,  which  enabled  them  to  accomplish  things  almost  super- 
natural." It  created,  under  God,  the  Dutch  Republic,  and  made 
it  "the  first  free  nation  to  put  a  girdle  of  empire  around  the  world." 
Is  it  any  wonder  that  William  the  Silent,  disciple  of  John  Calvin, 
is  regarded  as  the  father  of  religious  liberty? 

Scotland. 

Into  the  School  of  Calvin  at  Geneva,  with  thousands  of  others 
came  John  Knox,  who  pronounced  it  "the  most  perfect  school 
of  Christ  that  ever  was  since  the  days  of  the  Apostles."  The 
advent  of  Knox  into  Scotland  is  termed  by  Carlyle  "a  resurrec- 
tion from  death"  and  without  whom  James  Anthony  Froude. 
says:  "Scotland  as  the  modern  world  has  known  it,  would  have 
had  no  existence.  His  was  the  voice  which  taught  the  peasant 
of  the  Lothians  that  he  was  a  free  man,  the  equal  in  the  sight 
of  God  with  the  proudest  peer  or  prelate  that  had  tramped  on  his 
forefathers.  He  was  the  one  antagonist  whom  Mary  Stuart 
could  not  soften  nor  Maitland  deceive;  he  it  was  that  raised 
the  poor  commons  of  his  country  into  a  stern  and  rugged  people, 
who  might  be  hard,  narrow,  superstitious  and  fanatical,  but  who, 
nevertheless,  were  men  whom  neither  king,  noble  nor  priest  could 

122 


force  again  to  submit  to  tyranny.  And  his  reward  has  been  the 
ingratitude  of  those  who  should  most  have  done  honor  to  his 
memory." 

Rev.  Egbert  W.  Smith,  Secretary  of  Foreign  Missions,  has 
well  said  "Knox  made  Calvinism  the  religion  of  Scotland,  and 
Calvinism  made  Scotland  the  moral  standard  for  the  world.  It 
is  certainly  a  significant  fact  that  in  that  country  where  there  is 
the  most  of  Calvinism  there  should  be  the  least  of  crime ;  that  of 
all  the  peoples  of  the  world  today  that  nation  which  is  confessedly 
the  most  moral  is  also  the  most  thoroughly  Calvinistic;  that  in 
that  land  where  Calvinism  has  had  supremest  sway  individual 
and  national  morality  has  reached  its  loftiest  level." 

Buckle,  in  his  "History  of  Civilization,"  attributes  to  this  source 
the  spirit  of  liberty:  "In  their  pulpits,  in  their  presbyteries,  and 
in  their  general  assemblies  they  encouraged  a  democratic  and  in- 
subordinate tone,  which  eventually  produced  the  happiest  results 
by  keeping  alive,  at  a  critical  moment,  the  spirit  of  liberty.  At 
a  most  hazardous  moment  they  kept  alive  the  spirit  of  national 
liberty.  What  the  nobles  and  the  Crown  had  put  in  peril,  that  did 
the  clergy  save.  By  their  care  the  dying  spark  was  kindled  into 
a  blaze.  When  the  light  grew  dim  and  flickered  on  the  altar,  their 
hands  trimmed  the  lamp  and  fed  the  sacred  flame.  This  is  their 
real  glory,  and  on  this  they  may  well  repose.  They  were  the 
guardians  of  Scotch  freedom,  and  they  stood  to  their  post." 

England. 

This  spark  of  civil  and  religious  liberty  kindled  in  Scotland 
spread  into  England  where  it  smouldered  during  the  reign  of 
James  I,  but  burst  into  a  flame  under  the  leadership  of  Oliver 
Cromwell  and  the  Puritans  (strict  Calvinists)  against  the  en- 
croachments of  Charles  I.  Though  by  aid  of  the  Scotch  army  it 
triumphed;  yet  the  victory  was  but  temporary  and  incomplete, 
owing  to  the  restoration  of  the  Stuarts  to  the  throne.  The  final 
deliverance  came  through  the  agency  of  William,  Prince  of 
Orange,  worthy  successor  of  his  great  ancestor  William  the 
Silent.  McFetridge,  in  "Calvinism  in  History,"  describes  that 
which  was  for  Protestantism  the  most  important  battle  in  the 

123 


world's  history:  ''It  was  the  battle  of  the  Boyne  (in  Ireland, 
1690)  that  decided  the  fate  of  Protestantism,  not  only  for  Great 
Britain,  but  for  America;  and  for  the  world  indeed,  for  had 
William  been  defeated  there,  Protestants  could  not  have  found 
a  safe  shelter  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  'Orangemen*  may  there- 
fore be  pardoned  for  their  lively  interest  in  that  battle.  On  one 
side  was  James  II,  whom  the  poet  Wadsworth  appropriately  calls 
'The  vacillating  bondman  of  the  pope,'  with  an  army  composed 
of  his  Roman  Catholic  and  sympathizing  subjects  and  allies.  On 
the  other  side  was  his  son-in-law,  William,  whom  the  Protest- 
ants had  called  from  Holland  for  their  deliverance — a  little,  but 
not  a  small  man ;  pale  and  sickly ;  the  world-acknowledged  repre- 
sentative of  the  reforming  cause,  with  an  army  much  inferior  in 
numbers  to  that  of  his  royal  father-in-law  and  opponent,  but 
bound  together  as  one  man  by  a  common  faith  and  a  glorious 
purpose.  The  world  has  never  seen  such  another  army.  The 
entire  Calvinistic  world  was  represented  in  it. 

"Less  than  four  years  before  (October  22,  1685)  Louis  XIV 
of  France  had  published  the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes, 
by  which  all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  his  Calvinistic  subjects, 
the  Huguenots,  were  swept  away.  This  drove  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  them  to  flee  from  their  native  land  and  seek  safety 
and  liberty  in  other  climes.  Multitudes  of  them  fled  to  William 
in  Holland,  many  of  whom  were  of  the  best  sailors  and  soldiers 
of  France.  This  seems  indeed  to  have  been  a  providence  by  which 
Williams's  army  was  to  be  reinforced  and  the  great  victory  to  be 
won.  Under  him,  at  the  Boyne,  there  were  Calvinists  from 
England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  Prussia,  Finland,  Sweden  and 
Switzerland,  in  addition  to  his  own  staunch  Hollanders  and  two 
hundred  English  Negro  servants,  as  loyal  to  Christ  and  liberty 
as  any  under  the  Orange  flag." 

Taine,  author  of  English  Literature,  commenting  on  this  vic- 
tory of  the  Calvinistic  forces  of  the  world,  says:  "These  men 
are  the  true  heroes  of  England;  they  display,  in  high  relief,  the 
original  characteristics  and  noblest  features  of  England — prac- 
tical piety,  the  rule  of  conscience,  manly  resolution,  indomitable 
energy.    They  founded  England,  in  spite  of  the  corruption  of  the 

124 


Stuarts  and  the  relaxation  of  modern  manners,  by  the  exercise  of 
duty,  by  the  practice  of  justice,  by  obstinate  toil,  by  vindication 
of  right,  by  resistance  to  oppression,  by  the  conquest  of  Hberty 
by  the  repression  of  vice.  They  founded  Scotland ;  they  founded 
the  United  States;  at  this  day  they  are,  by  their  descendants, 
founding  Australia  and  colonizing  the  world," 

America. 

This  victory  forever  purchased  for  England  the  priceless  boon 
of  liberty;  but  the  cause  was  now  transferred  to  another  hemi- 
sphere. Under  the  tyrannical  Stuarts  of  England  and  the  bigoted 
Bourbons  of  France  the  noblest  blood  of  both  realms  had  been 
driven  to  seek  refuge  in  America.  Here  followed  them  the  strong 
hand  of  the  oppressor,  which  made  the  American  Revolution  a 
dire  necessity.  Once  more  the  sacrifice  and  the  glory  of  the  con- 
flict must  be  awarded  Presbyterianism.  Both  Ranke  and  Ban- 
croft, two  of  the  world's  great  Historians,  credit  John  Calvin 
with  the  fatherhood  of  America.  Presbyterians  proclaimed  the 
Mecklenburg  Declaration  at  Charlotte,  N.  C,  1775,  one  year 
before  the  National  Charter  was  signed.  Presbyterians  composed 
the  larger  part  of  the  officers  of  the  Continental  army  and  the 
volume,  of  troops  which  followed  Washington  from  Valley  Forge 
to  Yorktown.  Presbyterians  fought  Kings  Mountain,  recog- 
nized as  the  decisive  battle  of  the  war.  McFetridge  declares  that 
"In  the  war  for  American  independence  the  dissenting  churches 
arrayed  themselves  on  the  side  of  the  colonies,  and  the  Anglican 
Church  arrayed  itself  on  the  side  of  the,  Crown.  The  independent 
and  democratic  spirit  of  Calvinism,  cherished  in  the  hearts  of 
its  adherents  and  nourished  by  their  mixed  assemblies  and  free 
discussions,  rose  up  in  rebellion  against  all  despotic  measures, 
whether  of  church  or  state,  and  girded  itself  again  for  the  great 
conflict  on  this  western  continent." 

The  famous  Whig  Club  composed  of  the  leadership  of  the 
nation,  had  for  its  avowed  purpose  the  liberty  of  the  Colonies 
and  was  so  largely  Presbyterian  in  its  membership  that  it  was 
dubbed  the  "Presbyterian  Junta."  Bancroft  asserts  that :  "It  was 
from  Witherspoon  of  New  Jersey  that  Madison  imbibed  the  les- 


son  of  perfect  freedom  in  matters  of  conscience.  When  the  con- 
stitution of  New  Jersy  was  formed  by  a  convention  composed 
chiefly  of  Presbyterians,  they  estabh'shed  perfect  liberty  of  con- 
science withont  the  blemish  of  a  test."  The  Continental  Congress, 
composed  largely  of  Presbyterians,  contained  only  one  minister, 
Rev.  John  Witherspoon,  lineal  descendant  of  John  Knox,  Presi- 
dent of  Princeton  College.  At  the  critical  moment  when  the  fate 
of  the  Declaration  hung  trembling  in  the  balance,  because  some 
members  of  Congress  hesitated  to  risk  affixing  their  signatures, 
it  was  Witherspoon,  the  Presbyterian  minister,  who  turned  the 
scales  in  its  favor  in  the  following  language:  "That  noble  in- 
strument upon  your  table,  which  ensures  immortality  to  its  author, 
should  be  subscribed  this  very  morning  by  every  pen  in  the  house. 
He  that  will  not  respond  to  its  accents,  and  strain  every  nerve  to 
carry  into  eflFect  its  provisions,  is  unworthy  the  name  of  a  freeman. 
For  my  own  part,  of  property,  I  have  some,  of  reputation  more. 
That  reputation  is  staked,  that  property  is  pledged,  on  the  issue 
of  this  contest.  And  although  these  gray  hairs  must  soon  descend 
into  the  sepulchre,  I  would  infinitely  rather  they  should  descend 
thither  by  the  hands  of  the  public  executioner  than  desert  at  this 
crisis  the  sacred  cause  of  my  country." 

Dr.  McFetridge,  in  "Calvinism  in  History,"  is  authority  for 
the  following: 

'When  Generals  Washington,  Charles  Lee  and  Schuyler  were 
on  their  way  to  assume  command  of  their  respective  armies,  in 
1775 — ^Washington  and  Lee  going  to  Boston,  and  Schuyler  to 
Albany — they  arrived  in  New  York  on  a  Sabbath  morning  in  the 
month  of  June.  And  by  whom  were  they  met  and  welcomed  to 
the  city?  By  the  volunteer  companies,  the  members  of  the  Pro- 
vincial Congress  of  New  York,  the  members  of  the  City  Committee 
and  the  pastors  of  the  dissenting  churches.  Washington  and  Lee 
were  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  but  there  was  not  a 
clergyman  of  the  Church  to  bid  them  welcome.  These  others, 
the  Calvinists,  met  them  and  conducted  Washington  to  the  house 
of  a  Calvinist,  Mr.  Lispenard,  where  he  and  his  staff  were  boun- 
tifully entertained.  But  on  the  same  day  and  in  that  same  city 
another  high  officer  arrived — General  Tryon,  the  king's  governor 

126 


of  the  colony.  And  by  whom  was  he  met  and  welcomed?  By 
all  the  king's  officers  and  scores  of  his  loyal  subjects,  prominent 
amongst  whom  were  the  clergy  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  Nothing 
could  more  clearly  mark  the  difference  in  political  sentiment  of 
these  diflferent  clergymen  and  their  churches.  From  that  time 
Washington  was  about  as  much  of  a  Presbyterian  as  an  Episco- 
palian. When  afterward  he  was  commander  in  New  York  he 
made  his  headquarters  with  William  Smith,  a  prominent  Presby- 
terian. He  himself  attended,  and  ordered  all  his  men  to  attend, 
the  services  of  his  chaplains,  who  were  dissenting  clergymen ;  and 
he  elsewhere  attended  the  dissenters'  service  and  communed  with 
them.  He  gave  forty  thousand  dollars  in  bonds  to  establish  a 
Presbyterian  college  in  his  native  state,  which  took  his  name  in 
honor  of  his  munificent  gift,  becoming  Washington  College." 

Rufus  Choate,  eminent  Jurist,  ascribes  to  Calvinists  the  civil 
liberty  of  the  world:  "In  the  reign  of  Mary,  from  1553  to  1558, 
a  thousand  learned  Englishmen  fled  from  the  stake  at  home  to 
the  happier  states  of  continental  Protestantism.  Of  these,  great 
numbers — I  know  not  how  many — came  to  Geneva.  I  ascribe  tc 
that  five  years  in  Geneva  an  influence  which  has  changed  the 
face  of  the  world.  I  seem  to  myself  to  trace  to  it,  as  an  influence 
on  the  English  character,  a  new  theology,  new  politics,  another 
tone  of  character,  the  opening  of  another  era  of  time  and  liberty. 
I  seem  to  myself  to  trace  to  it  the  great  civil  war  in  England, 
the  republican  constitution  framed  in  the  cabin  of  the  Mayflower, 
the  theology  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  the 
Independence   of   America." 

II. 

Presbjrterianism  and  Martyrdom. 

In  all  the  ages  Presbyterianism  has  been  in  the  fiery  furnace 
of  persecution  for  loyalty  to  Christ  and  for  testimony  to  the  truth. 
"For  unto  you  it  is  given  in  the  behalf  of  Christ  not  only  to  be- 
lieve in  Him,  but  also  to  suffer  for  His  sake,"  was  enunciated 
by  Paul  as  a  glorious  privilege,  accepted  by  the  ancient  church, 
who  counted  it  joy  that  they  were  accounted  worthy  to  suffer  for 

127 


His  name,"  and  who  "loved  not  their  Hves  unto  death."  In  suf- 
fering martyrdom  no  one  can  dispute  its  claim  that  the  Presby- 
terian Church  enjoys  the  honor  of  apostoHc  succession.  No  other 
historic  church  has  been  so  continuously  in  the  flames  and  no  other 
body  of  Christians  has  contributed  so  largely  to  the  number  of 
those  "who  have  come  out  of  great  tribulation  and  washed  their 
robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  If  it  be 
true  of  a  church  as  well  as  of  individuals  that  "whom  the  Lord 
loveth  he  chasteneth,"  then  the  Presbyterian  must  of  all  churches 
be  the  beloved  of  the  Lord.  If  the  rage  of  Satan  against  one  body 
of  people  indicates  his  bitter  enmity,  then  the  Presbyterian  must 
of  all  denominations  be  the  object  of  Satanic  malice.  So  con- 
stantly has  Presbyterianism  been  called  to  suffer  for  the  faith 
that  the  motto  of  the  Huguenot,  "Nee  tamen  consumabatur" — 
"Nevertheless,  it  is  not  consumed" — has  become  the  insignia  blaz- 
oned not  only  on  its  crest,  but  wrought  into  its  experience  through 
all  the  ages. 

Historic  Proofs. 

In  the,  early  days  of  Christianity,  before  the  simplicity  of  its 
Presbyterian  faith  had  given  place  to  the  sacerdotalism  of  latei 
centuries,  it  gave  to  the  world  startling  exhibitions  of  martyrdom 
in  men  who  kissed  joyously  the  chains  that  bound  them  to  the 
stake  and  sang  hallelujahs  as  their  souls  departed  in  chariots  of 
flame.  The  Calvinism  of  that  first  century  was  as  unquestioned  as 
that  of  Paul  himself,  and  it  poured  its  blood  more  freely  than 
water,  giving  rise  to  the  proverb:  "The  blood  of  the  martyrs  is 
the  seed  of  the  church."  The  Apostles  themselves  led  the  van 
of  the  heroes  of  faith  to  the  stake,  who  sealed  their  testimony 
with  their  blood.  Historians  have  vainly  sought  to  estimate  their 
number.  John,  the  last  survivor  of  the  Apostles,  describes  them 
as  "a  great  multitude  which  no  man  could  number  of  all  nations 
and  kindreds  and  peoples  and  tongues  before  the  throne  and  before 
the  Lamb  clothed  with  white  robes  and  palms  in  their 
hands"  .  .  .  ."which  came  out  of  great  tribulation  and  have 
washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb." 

128 


"The  Son  of  God  goes  forth  to  war, 

A  kingly  crown  to  gain, 
His  blood-red  banner  streams  afar : 

Who  follows  in  His  train? 
Who  best  can  drink  His  cup  of  woe, 

Triumphant  over  pain, 
Who  patient  bears  His  cross  below, 

He  follows  in  His  train. 

"That  martyr  first,  whose  eagle  eye 

Could  pierce  beyond  the  grave; 
Who  saw  His  Master  in  the  sky, 

And  called  on  Him  to  save; 
Like  Him,  with  pardon  on  His  tongue, 

In  midst  of  mortal  pain, 
He  prayed  for  them  that  did  the  wrong: 

Who  follows  in  His  train? 

"A  noble  band,  the  chosen  few, 

On  whom  the  Spirit  came, 
Twelve  valiant  saints,  their  hope  they  knew. 

And  mocked  the  torch  of  flame ; 
They  met  the  tyrant's  brandished  steel. 

The  lion's  gory  mane. 
They  bowed  their  necks  the  stroke  to  feel; 

Who  follows  in  their  train? 

"A  noble  army,  men  and  boys. 

The  matron  and  the  maid. 
Around  the  throne  of  God  rejoice, 

In  robes  of  light  arrayed. 
They  climbed  the  steep  ascent  of  heaven 

Through  peril,  toil  and  pain; 
O  God,  to  us  may  grace  be  given 

To  follow  in  their  train.'* 


Waldensian  Martyrs 


Next  in  order  of  time  come  the  Waldenses.  Their  history  is 
written  in  blood.     Pope  Innocent  VIII  fulminated  against  them 

129 


his  infamous  bull — in  striking  contradiction  to  his  name  "Inno- 
cent"— and  invited  all  Catholics  to  take-  up  arms  against  them, 
"absolving  from  all  ecclesiastical  pains  and  penalties,  general  and 
particular,  those  who  should  take  up  the  cross;  releasing  them 
from  any  oaths  they  might  have  taken ;  legitimizing  their  title  to 
any  property  they  might  have  illegally  acquired ;  and  promising 
remission  of  sins  to  such  as  should  kill  any  heretic."  It  annulled 
all  contracts  in  favor  of  the  Waldenses;  ordered  their  domestics 
to  abandom  them,  forbade  any  persons  to  give  them  any  aid 
whatever,  and  empowered  all  persons  to  take  possession  of  their 
property. 

While  multitudes  died,  the  remnant  "kept  the  faith"  till  the 
next  great  persecution  came  and  with  it  their  new  baptism  of 
blood,  as  Francis  I  of  France,  and  the  Duke  of  Savoy  attempted 
their  extermination  in  vain.  One  hundred  years  later  the  storm 
of  persecution  burst  out  with  still  greater  fury.  Of  the  massacre 
that  year  an  eye-witness  and  chief  sufferer  writes:  **A11  the 
echoes  of  the  valleys  and  of  the  Alps  made  such  piteous  response 
to  the  lamentable  cries  of  these  poor  victims,  and  to  the  fright- 
ful shrieks  raised  by  so  great  a  company  of  martyrs,  that  you 
would  have  said  that  the  rocks  could  hear  and  had  pity  at  the 
cries  for  mercy  and  the  beatings  of  the  breast,  while  these  mur- 
derers were  utterly  unmoved  thereat." 

Only  the  recording  angel  can  count  up  the  number  of  these 
ancient  Presbyterian  people,  in  whose  behalf  John  Milton  invoked 
the  aid  of  Oliver  Cromwell  and  of  heaven  in  the  well-known 
sonnet : 

"Avenge,  O  Lord,  thy  slaughtered  saints  whose  bones. 
Lie  scattered  on  the  Alpine  Mountains  cold, 
Even  them  who  kept  thy  truth  so  pure  of  old, 
When  all  our  fathers  worshipped  stocks  and  stones." 

Huguenots  of  France. 

Next  in  the  order  of  the  Apostolic  Succession  of  Suffering,  the 
Huguenots  bore  aloft  the  Standard  of  the  Faith.  Truly  has  this 
Church  been  called  "The  Church  under  the  Cross."     It  had  two 

130 


emblems — 'The  Burning  Bush,"  and  the  *'Anvil,"  smitten  again 
and  again,  wearing  out  many  hammers,  yet  never  destroyed,  made 
only  the  harder  for  the  many  strokes  upon  it.  The  Protestants 
bound  themselves  by. a  solemn  oath  to  stand  by  each  other,  and  so 
came  to  be  known  as  Huguenots,  a  kind  of  nickname  which  came 
to  mean  "comrades  of  the  oath."  Conde  was  miserably  assassi- 
nated after  a  battle,  and  Coligny  met  a  similar  fate  in  the  mem- 
orable massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  on  the  24th  day  of  August, 
1572  At  one  time,  at  a  signal  from  the  bell  of  St.  Germain 
TAuxerrais,  seventy-five  thousand  Protestants, — men,  women  and 
children, — were  butchered  in  cold  blood  in  their  homes  and  in  the 
streets  of  Paris  and  other  cities.  The  person  most  responsible  for 
this  colossal  infamy  was  an  Italian  woman,  Catherine  de  Medici, 
queen  regent,  and  mother  of  the  boy  king,  Charles  IX.  She  de- 
liberately decoyed  the  Protestants  to  Paris  for  this  purpose,  and 
turned  loose  upon  them  her  brutal  minions.  The  Seine  was 
crimsoned  and  the  streets  of  Paris  flowed  in  blood.  To  com- 
memorate the  event,  the  Pope  ordered  medals  to  be  struck,  having 
on  one  side  the  Pope's  head,  with  this  inscription,  "Gregorius  XIII, 
Pont.  Max.,  An.  I";  on  the  other  a  destroying  angel,  holding  a 
cross  in  one  hand,  while  with  the  other,  he  slew  the  Protestants 
with  a  sword.  On  this  side  were  inscribed  the  words,  "Hugono- 
torum  strages"  (slaughter  of  the  Huguenots),  "1572."  Special 
services  of  thanksgiving  were  also  held  in  the  churches  of  Rome. 

Jonathan  Edwards,  in  his  "History  of  Redemption"  says :  "It  is 
reckoned  that  about  this  time,  within  thirty  years,  there  were 
martyred  in  this  kingdom  (France)  for  the  Protestant  religion, 
39  princes,  148  counts,  234  barons,  147,518  gentlemen,  and  760,000 
of  the  common  people." 

Martyrs  of  the  Dutch  Republic. 

Motley,  noted  Historian,  states :  "The  Reformation  had  entered 
the  Netherlands  by  the  Walloon  gate  (that  is,  through  the  Cal- 
vinists).  The  earliest  and  most  eloquent  preachers,  the  most  im- 
passioned converts,  the  sublimest  martyrs,  had  lived,  preached, 
fought,  suffered  and  died  with  the  precepts  of  Calvin  in  their 
hearts." 

131 


The  persecutions  they  endured  make  one  of  the  darkest  pictures 
in  history,  and  with  them  will  be  associated  forever,  covered  with 
obloquy  and  execration,  the  name  of  the  Duke  of  Alva.  He  was 
sent,  in  1567,  by  his  master,  Phillip  II,  King  of  Spain,  a  bigoted 
Roman  Catholic,  to  extirpate  heresy  in  Holland,  which  country  was 
at  that  time  held  in  subjection  to  the  Spanish  crown.  His  army 
numbered  ten  thousand  men,  mostly  mercenaries,  and  he  was 
clothed  with  full  powers  for  this  nefarious  mission.  He  estab- 
lished a  tribunal  that  soon  became  known  as  the  "Court  of  Blood," 
which  was  to  try  and  condemn  the  oflFending  Protestants.  Many 
cities  openly  declared  against  the  oppressive  measures  of  Alva,  and 
combined  for  their  common  defense.  The  States-General,  as- 
sembled at  Dordrecht,  marshaled  under  the  leadership  of  "William 
the  Silent,"  Prince  of  Orange.  This  wonderful  man,  who  became 
a  strong  Calvinist,  occupied,  for  a  long  time,  the  most  prominent 
place  among  the  Protestants  of  his  day. 

The  object  of  these  pages  is  not  the  narration  of  events,  but  a 
summary  of  martyrs  furnished  by  the  Presbyterian  faith,  and  con- 
sequently only  a  passing  allusion  need  be  given  to  the  martyrs  of 
Bohemia,  followers  of  John  Huss,  and  the  sufferers  of  Hungary — 
historic  churches  identified  to  this  day  with  the  Presbyterian  and 
Calvinistic  forces  of  the  world.  Not  so  spectacular,  not  so  brilliant 
with  the  galaxy  of  illustrious  names,  yet  none  the  less  heroic  was 
the  struggle  in  these  Germanic  and  Slavic  countries  which  dragged 
its  weary  length  through  the  ages,  as  myriads  of  martyred  saints 
went  from  their  midst  to  swell  the  number,  around  the  throne,  of 
the  great  white  robed  throng  "with  palms  in  their  hands." 

The  Covenanters  of  Scotland. 

From  the  Continent  of  Europe  the  scene  of  martyrdom  shifts 
to  Scotland's  heath  covered  hills,  sequestered  glens  and  historic 
battlefields,  where  Presbyterianism  attained  its  loftiest  heights  and 
fought  its  most  glorious  conflicts  in  the  defense  of  "the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  Saints."  The  Solemn  League  and  Covenant  was 
the  instrument  by  which  Scotland  bound  itself  to  be  faithful  to 
Christ's  crown.  In  Grey  friar's  historic  churchyard,  upon  the 
tomb-stones  for  tables,  the  people  after  listening  to  a  stirring  ser- 


mon  from  Alexander  Henderson,  affixed  their  names,  many  of 
them  opening  their  veins  and  signing  with  their  own  blood,  typical 
of  the  streams  which  would  later  be  shed  in  its  defense.  It  is  not 
our  purpose  to  tell  of  the  awful  period  that  followed,  known  as 
the  "killing  time."  During  these  twenty-eight  years  eighteen 
thousand  persons  were  put  to  death.  The  sod  of  Scotland  was 
crimsoned  with  the  blood  of  its  noblest  and  best.  Another  Mar- 
quis of  Argyle,  son  of  the  former,  was  beheaded  in  Edinburgh, 
before  St.  Giles  Cathedral.  Men  and  women  throughout  the  king- 
dom were  shot,  put  to  the  sword  and  tied  to  the  stakes  fastened  in 
the  edge  of  the  sea,  that  a  slow  tide  might  torture  them  before  death 
relieved  their  sufferings. 

In  old  Greyfriar's  Churchyard,  Edinburgh,  convenient  to  the 
Grassmarket,  where  many  martyrs  perished,  is  the  famous  "Mar- 
tyrs Monument."  In  quaint  rhymes  the  tourist  reads  with  deep 
emotion  the  record  of  heroic  men  and  noble  deeds,  beginning : 

"Halt,  passenger,  take  heed !    What  do  you  see  ? 
This  tomb  doth  show  for  what  some  men  did  die. 
Here  lies  the  dust  of  those  who  stood 
'Gainst  perjury,  resisting  unto  blood." 

This  is  concluded  with  the  following  inscription : 
"From  May  27th,  1661,  that  the  most  noble  Marquis  of  Argyle 
was  beheaded,  to  the.  17th  of  February,  1688,  that  Mr.  James  Ren- 
wick  suflFered,  were,  one  way  or  other,  murdered  or  destroyed,  for 
the  same  cause,  about  eighteen  thousand ;  of  whom  were  executed 
at  Edinburgh,  about  an  hundred  of  noblemen,  gentlemen,  min- 
isters, and  others;  noble  martyrs  for  Jesus  Christ.  The  most  of 
them  lie  here." 

Modem  Persecution. 

Are  not  these  citations  sufficient  proof  that  the  Presbyterian 
has  been  the  martyr  Church  of  the  ages.  It  has  not  only  furnished 
the  vast  throng  of  martyrs  now  in  glory,  but  it  still  elicits  the 
bitterest  hostility  from  the  enemies  of  God  and  the  truth.  Critics 
and  skeptics  vie,  with  each  other  in  hurling  their  keenest  shafts  of 
wit,  ridicule  and  sarcasm  at  its  devoted  head.    Rationalistic  pulpits, 

133 


sensational  novels,  popular  magazines,  are  the  vehicles  of  modern 
venom.  It  is  the  same  spirit  that  prompted  martyrdom  of  the 
past  which  now  continues  the  persecution  in  other  forms.  No 
wonder  Dr.  McFetridge  testifies :  "For  the  courageous  morality  of 
the  Calvinists  one  has  only  to  look  at  the  doings  of  the  Inquisition 
in  the  Low  Countries  and  at  the  martyrdoms  of  Cambray  and  the 
fires  of  Smithfield.  Who  were  the  martyrs  but  Calvinists  ?  There 
is  no  other  system  of  religion  in  the  world  which  has  such  a 
glorious  array  of  martyrs  to  the  faith.  Almost  every  man  and 
woman  who  walked  to  the  flames  rather  than  deny  the  faith  or 
leave  a  stain  on  conscience  was  the  devout  follower  not  only,  and 
first  of  all,  of  the  Son  of  God,  but  also  of  that  minister  of  God 
who  made  Geneva  the  light  of  Europe."  It  is  the  glory  of  Presby- 
terianism  that  God  has  accounted  it  worthy  to  bear  testimony  for 
Christ  during  the  ages,  and  that  it  still  bears  the  brunt  of  the 
attack. 

"Faith  of  our  fathers  living  still, 

In  spite  of  dungeons,  fire  and  sword, 

Oh,  how  our  hearts  beat  high  with  joy, 
When-e*er  we  hear  that  glorious  word. 

Faith  of  our  fathers,  Holy  Faith, 
We,  will  be  true  to  thee  till  death." 

III. 

Presbyterianism  and  Moral  Character. 

If  "Wisdom  is  justified  of  her  children,"  Presbyterianism  can 
furnish  the  evidence  of  its  divine  wisdom  in  the  contribution  it  has 
made  to  the  moral  character  of  the  world.  This  is  the  grandest  of 
all  its  products,  its  noblest  adornment.  Scholars  and  historians 
testify  alike  to  the  influence  of  Calvinism  in  the  grandeur  of  moral 
character  produced,  whether  considered  in  the  individual  or 
national  life  of  its  devotees.  Quotations  establishing  this  conten- 
tion must  be  limited  to  a  few  selections  largely  confined  to  those 
who  are  in  no  way  attached  to  this  system  and  not  even  friendly 
to  it. 

134 


Individual. 

James  Anthony  Froude,  Professor  of  History  at  Oxford,  bril- 
liant essayist,  enters  the  list  of  its  eulogists,  not  from  partiality 
but  as  an  honest  judge  of  its  merits : 

"I  am  going  to  ask  you  to  consider,  if  Calvinism  be,  as  we  are 
told,  fatal  to  morality,  how  it  came  to  pass  that  the  first  symptom 
of  its  operation,  wherever  it  established  itself,  was  to  obliterate 
the  distinction  between  sins  and  crimes,  and  to  make  the  moral 
law  the  rule  of  life  for  state  as  well  as  persons  ?  I  shall  ask  you 
again,  why,  if  it  be  a  creed  of  intellectual  servitude,  it  was  able  to 
inspire  and  maintain  the  gravest  efforts  ever  made  to  break  the 
yoke  of  unjust  authority?  When  all  else  has  failed ;  when  patriot- 
ism has  covered  its  face,  and  human  courage  has  broken  down; 
when  intellect  has  yielded,  as  Gibbon  says,  *with  a  smile  or  a  sigh', 
content  to  philosophize  in  the  closet  or  abroad  worship  with  the 
vulgar ;  when  emotion,  and  sentiment,  and  tender  imaginative  piety 
have  become  the  handmaids  of  superstition,  and  have  dreamt 
themselves  into  forgetfulness  that  there  is  any  difference  between 
lies  and  truth,  the  slavish  form  of  belief  called  Calvinism,  in  one 
or  other  of  its  many  forms,  has  borne  ever  an  inflexible  front  to 
illusion  and  mendacity,  and  has  preferred  rather  to  be  ground  to 
powder  like  flint  than  to  bend  before  violence  or  melt  under 
enervating  temptation. 

"The  Calvinists  abhorred,  as  no  body  of  men  ever  more 
abhorred,  all  conscious  mendacity,  all  impurity,  all  moral  wrong  of 
every  kind  so  far  as  they  could  recognize  it.  Whatever  exists  at 
this  moment  in  England  and  Scotland  of  conscientious  fear  of 
doing  evil  is  the  remnant  of  the  convictions  which  were  branded 
by  the  Calvinists  into  the  people's  hearts." 

As  illustrating  the  type  of  character  produced  by  Calvinism, 
Froude  names  William  the  Silent,  Luther,  Knox,  Andrew  Melville, 
the  Regent  Murray,  Coligny,  Cromwell,  Milton  and  Bunyan. 
"These  were  men,"  he  says,  "possessed  of  all  the  qualities  which 
give  nobility  and  grandeur  to  human  nature — men  whose  life  was 
as  upright  as  their  intellect  was  commanding  and  their  public  aims 
untainted  with  selfishness;  unalterably  just  where  duty  required 

135 


them  to  be  stern,  but  with  the  tenderness  of  a  woman  in  their 
hearts;  frank,  true,  cheerful,  humorous,  as  unlike  sour  fanatics 
as  it  is  possible  to  imagine  any  one,  and  able  in  some  way  to  sound 
the  keynote  to  which  every  brave  and  faithful  heart  in  Europe 
instinctively  vibrated." 

To  this  list  of  illustrious  men  might  be  added  a  catalogue  of 
the  greatest  names  of  America  such  as  Andrew  Jackson,  Abraham 
Lincoln,  Grover  Cleveland,  Benjamin  Harrison,  Theodore  Roose- 
velt, Woodrow  Wilson,  Stonewall  Jackson,  James  Henley  Thorn- 
well,  etc. 

Henry  Ward  Beecher  was  never  accused  of  orthodoxy  accord- 
ing to  the  Calvinistic  standard,  yet  its  most  ardent  advocate  could 
scarcely  pronounce  more  eloquent  panegyric  than  this  illustrious 
preacher  uttered  in  his  Plymouth  pulpit : 

"There  is  no  system  which  equals  Calvinism  in  intensifying,  to 
the  last  degree,  ideas  of  moral  excellence  and  purity  of  character. 
There  never  was  a  system  since  the  world  stood  which  puts  upon 
man  such  motives  of  holiness,  or  which  builds  batteries  which 
sweep  the  whole  ground  of  sin  with  such  horrible  artillery.  Men 
may  talk  as  much  as  they  please  against  the  Calvinists  and  Puritans 
and  Presbyterians,  but  you  will  find  that  when  they  went  to  make 
an  investment  they  have  no  objection  to  Calvinism  or  Puritanism 
or  Presbyterianism.  They  know  that  where  these  systems  prevail, 
where  the  doctrine  of  men's  obligation  to  God  and  man  is  taught 
and  practiced,  there  their  capital  may  safely  be  invested.  They 
tell  us  that  Calvinism  plies  men  with  hammer  and  with  chisel.  It 
does;  and  the  result  is  monumental  marble.  Other  systems  leave 
men  soft  and  dirty;  Calvinism  makes  them  of  white  marble,  to 
endure  forever.*' 

Wilson's  "Theology  of  Modern  Literature"  asserts:  "The 
world  has  never  known,"  says  an  able  modern  scholar,  "a  higher 
type  of  robust  and  sturdy  manhood,  nor  a  gentler,  purer  or  more 
lovable  womanhood,  than  have  prevailed  among  those  peoples  who 
have  imbibed  the  principles  of  Calvinistic  creed,  with  its  com- 
mingled elements  of  granitic  strength  and  stability,  and  of  supreme, 
because  Divine,  tenderness  and  grace." 

136 


Nations. 

According  to  the  testimony  of  Competent  and  scholarly  men, 
Calvinism  not  only  produced  great  men  of  high  moral  standard, 
but  created  equally  unrivaled  standards  in  national  life. 

James  Russel  Lowell,  diplomat  and  poet,  affirms:  "If  the 
Calvinistic  churches  are  to  be  judged  by  the  results  of  their 
teaching  upon  character  and  conduct,  as  seen  in  Scotland  and  New 
England,  then  these  churches  are  entitled  to  the  highest  praise. 
For  the  superiority  is  not  solely  in  morality  and  intelligence,  but 

in  the  prevalent  sense  of  duty  in  high  ideals  and  inflexible  prin- 
ciples, and  in  short,  in  the  consciousness  of  the  spiritual  world  that 
is  an  'eternal  now'  with  believers.  After  due  allowance  made  for 
time-servers  and  hypocrites,  I  think  there  are  among  the  Calvinists 
more  godly  men,  each  living  *As  ever  in  his  great  Taskmaster's 
eye,'  than  in  any  other  branch  of  the  Christian  Church." 

This  is  confirmed  by  Thomas  Carlyle,  universally  recognized 
for  his  genius  and  his  rugged  honesty:  "Calvinism  had  produced 
in  all  countries  in  which  it  really  dominated  a  definite  type  of 
character  and  conception  of  morals  which  was  the  noblest  that  had 
yet  appeared  in  the  world." 

Samuel  Smiles,  noted  essayist,  emphasizes  the  fact  that  Calvin- 
ism bears  the  same  noble  purity  regardless  of  nationality :  "What 
the  Puritan  was  in  England,"  he  says,  "and  the  Covenanter  in 
Scotland,  that  the  Huguenot  was  in  France;  and  that  the  system 
of  Calvin  should  have  developed  precisely  the  same  kind  of  men 
in  these  three  several  countries  afiFords  a  remarkable  illustration 
of  the  power  of  religious  training  in  the  formation  of  character." 

With  pardonable  pride  Calvinism  points  to  one  illustration  of 
its  blessed  results — par  excellence — and  universally  admitted.  It 
has  had  absolute  control  of  the  moral  and  religious  life  of  but  one 
country.  Scotland  owes  its  national  character  alone  to  Presby- 
terianism.  For  integrity,  for  scholarship,  for  high  moral  standards, 
for  conscientious  devotion  to  duty,  for  undaunted  heroism,  for 
deep  spirituality,  no  country  of  the  globe  would  be  so  presumptuous 
as  to  claim  to  stand  on  the  same  plane  with  Scotland. 

137 


Conclusive  Summary  of  Achievement. 

In  the  Supreme  Court  of  Kentucky,  while  adjudicating  a  case, 
involving  the  legal  rights  and  status  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
Judge  Henry  S.  Baker  in  rendering  a  decision  took  occasion  to 
pay  a  splendid  tribute  to  the  work  and  worth  of  Presbyterianism, 
which  is  hereby  reproduced  as  a  comprehensive  summary  of  its 
achievements  recorded  on  the  pages  of  History  throughout  the 

ages: 

"The  history  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  the  history  of  a 
very  large  part  of  what  we  know  and  enjoy  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty.  The  teachings  of  her  faith  are  such  as  have  always 
attracted  to  her  the  most  lofty  minds  and  the  noblest  spirits.  In 
following  her  path  through  the  pages  of  history,  whether  her 
votaries  be  called  Lutherans  (Reformed)  as  in  Germany,  Hugue- 
nots, as  in  France,  Covenanters,  as  in  Scotland,  or  Puritans,  as  in 
England, — they  will  always  be  found  to  be  among  the  bravest  and 
the  best. 

"As  a  religious  organization,  it  had  no  compromise  along  the 
lines  of  conscience  to  make  with  power ;  and  it  could  be  deflected 
from  the  path  of  rectitude  neither  by  the  frown  of  authority  nor 
the  blandishments  of  corruption. 

"With  the  same  indomitable  courage,  it  confronted  the  haughty 
princes  of  the  House  of  Tudor  and  the  crowned  weaklings  of  the 
House  of  Stuart;  with  the  same  words  of  scornful  condemnation 
it  rebuked  the  sins  of  Messalina  on  the  throne  and  the  wanton  in 
the  street. 

"Her  path  has  led  her  oftner  into  exile  than  into  favor  with 
the  great;  oftener  to  the  dungeon  and  the  stake  than  to  the 
pleasure  of  kings'  houses  or  the  friendship  of  courtiers. 

"But  under  her  searching  gaze  shackles  have  fallen  from  the 
human  mind,  and  the  divine  right  of  kings  has  shrunk  to  the  mean 
thing  it  now  appears. 

"Wherever  a  battle  was  to  be  fought  for  human  liberty,  when- 
ever a  forlorn  hope  was  to  be  led,  or  a  mind  braved  for  conscience 
sake,  whenever  the  blood  of  a  martyr  was  needed  as  testimony  to 
truth,  her  answer  was  always  that  of  the  prophet  of  old :  'Here 
am  I ;  send  me'." 

138 


"And  of  Zion  it  shall  be  said,  this  and  that  man  was  born  in 
her,  and  the  Highest  himself  shall  establish  her.  The  Lord  shall 
count  when  He  writeth  up  the  people,  that  this  man  was  born 
there." 

Rival  Philosophies  may  enumerate  each  its  distinguished  ad- 
herents, Science  may  claim  its  illustrious  devotees,  schools  of 
divinity  may  count  each  its  worthy  sons,  patriotism  may  exhibit 
with  pride  its  noblest  heroes ;  but  when  Calvinism  calls  the  roll  of 
the  ages,  they  come  flocking  to  its  standard,  arrayed  under  its 
blue  banner — that  has  waved  over  many  lands  and  in  all  ages, — 
the  noble  army  of  the  Martyrs  outnumbering  all  other  faiths  com- 
bined; saints  of  God,  Paul,  Augustine,  John  Calvin,  John  Knox, 
Andrew  Melville,  George  Gillespie,  John  Milton,  James  Henley 
Thornwell,  Robert  J.  Breckinridge,  Robert  L.  Dabney,  John  L. 
Girardeau,  Benj.  M.  Palmer,  Jas.  Woodrow,  accompanied  by  a 
mighty  host  which  no  man  can  number — ^Waldenses,  Huguenots, 
Jansenists,  Culdees,  Covenanters,  Puritans, — Calvinists  all, — 
"Who  through  faith  subdued  kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness, 
obtained  promises,  stopped  the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched  the 
violence  of  fire,  escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword,  out  of  weakness 
were  made  strong,  waxed  valiant  in  fight,  turned  to  flight  the 
armies  of  the  aliens.  Women  received  their  dead  raised  to  life 
again;  and  others  were  tortured,  not  accepting  deliverance;  that 
they  might  obtain  a  better  resurrection:  And  others  had  trial  of 
cruel  mockings  and  scourgings,  yea,  moreover,  of  bonds  and  im- 
prisonment; they  were  stoned,  they  were  sawn  asunder,  were 
tempted,  were  slain  with  the  sword :  they  wandered  about  in 
sheepskins  and  goatskins ;  being  destitute,  afflicted,  tormented ;  (of 
whom  the  world  was  not  worthy)  :  they  wandered  in  deserts,  and 
in  mountains,  and  in  dens  and  caves  of  the  earth." 

Let  the  detractors  of  Calvinism,  before  being  accounted  worthy 
to  substitute  for  it  some  other  system,  first  match  it  in  worthy 
deeds  and  in  illustrious  heroes  of  faith. 

Verily,  "Wisdom  is  justified  of  her  children." 


139 


CHAPTER  IX. 

^te^ftpteriantem  anb  €ati)olititp. 

The  inherent  strength  of  Presbyterianism  is  the  scriptural 
character  of  its  doctrine  and  polity.  Its  crowning  glory  is  the 
catholicity  of  its  spirit  toward  evangelical  Christendom.  It  stands 
firm  as  Gibraltar  on  its  Biblical  base,  but  is  characterized  by  no 
bigotry  which  claims  sole  prerogatives  as  "the"  Church,  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  others.  It  extends  the  hand  of  fellowship  to  all 
the  followers  of  Christ  regardless  of  creed  or  historical  affiliation. 
If  smitten  on  one  cheek  by  the  uncharitable  club  of  the  sectarian,  it 
turns  the  other  cheek, — though  in  firm  protest, — to  the  fist  of  the 
smiter  in  the  confident  trust  that  love  will  eventually  win  in  the 
conflict  between  truth  and  intolerance. 

Its  Historic  Creed. 

In  the  whole  realm  of  literature  there  is  no  more  broadminded 
statement  and  liberal  spirit  toward  fellow  Christians  of  other 
faiths  than  its  Chapter  on  the  "Communion  of  Saints"  in  which  it 
affirms :  "We  are  bound  to  maintain  an  holy  fellowship  and  com- 
munion in  the  worship  of  God,  which  communion  as  God  offereth 
opportunity,  is  to  be  extended  unto  all  those  who  in  every  place 
call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Presbyterianism  is  the  only  system  which  officially  and 
unequivocally  recognizes  as  a  distinct  and  unmistakable  part  of  the 
visible  Church,  all  other  denominations,  "whatever  their  name  or 
sign.'*  For  nearly  three  centuries  the  banner  of  Presbyterianism 
has  been  flung  to  the  breezes  with  its  definition  of  the  Church  in- 
scribed which  should  challenge  the  admiration  of  Christendom: 
"The  visible  Church  before  the  law,  under  the  law  and  now  under 
the  gospel,  is  one  and  the  same,  and  consists  of  all  those  who 
make  profession  of  the  true  religion,  together  with  their  children. 
This  visible  unity  of  the  body  of  Christ,  though  obscured,  is  not 

140 


destroyed  by  its  division  into  different  denominations  of  profess- 
ing Christians;  but  all  of  these  which  maintain  the  Word  and 
Sacraments  in  their  fundamental  integrity  are  to  be  recognized  as 
true  branches  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Though  possessing  the  most  logical,  systematic  and  scriptural 
creed — well  nigh  universally  so  admitted — it  is  rather  remarkable 
that  it  is  the  one  creed  which  acclaims  the  fact  that  it  requires 
no  subscription  and  refuses  to  bind  the  individual  conscience.  On 
the  contrary,  it  guarantees  the  right  of  private  judgment,  affirming 
that  "God  alone  is  Lord  of  the  conscience  and  hath  left  it  free 
from  the  doctrines  and  commandments  of  men."  It  does  require, 
however,  subscription  to  the  Confession  on  the  part  of  its  ministry 
and  officers  in  their  representative  character  as  the  official  ex- 
pounders of  its  faith.  But  for  the  individual  seeking  admission  to 
its  fold  there  is  absolutely  no  test  except  the  scriptural  requirement 
of  "repentance  toward  God  and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."  It  protects  each  member  of  its  fold  in  his  divine  right 
of  determining  for  himself  his  beliefs  and  practices  in  his  private 
interpretation  of  Scripture  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Its  Confession  of  Faith  confirms  its  scriptural  System;  and  its 
pulpits  expound  officially  its  distinctive  principles,  but  whether  the 
individual  accepts  immersion  or  sprinkling  as  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism, whether  he  accepts  Calvinism  or  Arminianism  as  his  personal 
creed,  is  his  exclusive  privilege  and  sole  responsibility.  The  door 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  as  wide  as  the  gate  of  Heaven,  and 
its  "Communion  of  Saints"  is  as  broad  as  evangelical  Christendom. 

The  Proofs  of  Its  Catholicity. 

Notwithstanding  the  foregoing  claims  of  broad-mindedness  and 
notwithstanding  these  published  official  statements  of  its  Confes- 
sion of  Faith,  yet  in  many  quarters,  due  to  ignorance  or  prejudice, 
there  have  been  persistent  and  unchristian  charges  of  narrowness 
lodged  against  this  historic  and  long  suffering  body  of  worthy 
Christian  people,  who  have  adorned  the  faith  throughout  the 
ages.  Their  high  standard  of  Christian  character,  their  unrivaled 
achievements  in  benevolences  and  in  missions  are  their  noblest 
defense ;  yet  we  may  be  indulged  in  the  recitation  of  some  of  the 

141 


practical  proofs  which  seemingly  are  so  apparent  they  might  be 
justly  and  confidently  trusted  to  carry  conviction  to  the  minds  of 
reasonable  men. 

I. 

Presbyterian  Recognition  of  Other  Faiths. 

Not  simply  in  its  Confession  of  Faith  theoretically,  but  in  prac- 
tical deeds  and  ways,  Presbyterianism  acclaims  all  Christians  as 
brethren.  Its  scriptural  Presbyterate  constitutes  no  barrier  to 
the  cordial  recognition  as  brethren  those  in  the  communion  of  the 
historic  episcopate.  If  Episcopal  canons  exclude  Presbyterians 
from  their  pulpit  and  close  the  door  of  their  churches  against  hold- 
ing Presbyterian  services  in  their  houses  of  worship,  the  Presby- 
terian Church  does  not  retaliate,  but  cordially  offers  its  churches  to 
homeless  Episcopal  flocks,  and  unreservedly  places  its  pulpit  at 
their  disposal.  If  immersionists  exclude  Presbyterians  from  the 
church  and  from  their  communion  table,  Presbyterians  announce 
the  terms  of  their  communion  as  broad  as  Christianity,  and  invite 
all  disciples  of  Christ  "to  the  table  of  the  Lord."  If  others  re- 
ordain  Presbyterian  ministers  and  rebaptize  their  members,  Pres- 
bjrterianism  retaliates  by  extending  the  hand  of  fellowship,  whether 
others  take  it  or  reject  it.  The  Presbyterian  Church  never  re- 
ordains  any  ministers  coming  from  any  evangelical  church,  and 
never  rebaptizes  those  who  have  been  baptized  by  other  modes. 
It  receives  members  from  other  denominations  by  certificate  from 
any  as  freely  and  as  cordially  as  from  other  Presbyterian  Churches. 
It  cheerfully  grants  letters  of  dismission  to  any  other  "Christian 
Communion"  as  readily  as  to  those  of  its  own  faith  and  order. 
This  is  no  mere  sentirnent,  for  it  not  only  preaches  but  practices 
the  principles  of  fraternity  in  its  effort  to  realize  the  communion  of 
Saints. 

11. 

Presbjrterian  Cooperation. 

Presb5^erianism  undeniably  leads  the  hosts  of  God's  people  in 
its  financial  and  moral  support  of  all  great  undenominational  enter- 

142 


prises  and  charitable  institutions.  The  "Ben  Adham"  whose 
"name  leads  all  the  rest"  is  usually  Presbyterian.  It  is  the 
denomination  that  "sows  beside  all  waters"  and  whose  hand  of 
sympathy  and  generosity  is  extended  to  every  worthy  cause.  The 
familiar  and  oft  quoted  statement  of  Dwight  L.  Moody  has  never 
been  challenged,  that  in  his  great  undenominational  enterprises  he 
always  counted  on  Presbyterians  for  80  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost. 
No  wonder  some  one  has  said :  "They  are  the  financial  backbone 
of  all  American  benevolence.  They  make  possible  the  success  of 
every  great  'drive.*    The  nation  knows  it  and  is  grateful." 

Dr.  Irenaeus  Prime,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  American 
Bible  Society, — the  outstanding  undenominational  institution  which 
has  in  good  works  and  far-reaching  influence  led  all  religious 
non-sectarian  forces  of  the  world, — made  a  careful  examination  of 
the  gifts  of  the  New  York  Bible  Auxiliary,  and  found  that  the 
contributions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  during  a  period  of  fifty 
years  were  five  times  greater  than  the  combined  gifts  of  all  other 
denominations.  At  the  first  Pan-Presbyterian  Council  he  was 
quoted  as  saying :  "An  analysis  of  the  sources  of  contributions  to 
the  Bible  cause  in  any  other  city  or  part  of  the  country,  out  of 
New  England,  will  show  that  the  Presbyterian  Church  contributes 
to  this  great  national  society  in  about  the  same  proportion." 

Dr.  Hays  in  his  book  on  "Presbyterianism"  states  on  the  au- 
thority of  an  executive  officer  of  one  of  the  great  non-sectarian 
enterprises,  that  if  the  support  of  Presbyterians  were  withdrawn 
from  the  American  Bible  Society,  the  American  Tract  Society 
and  the  American  Sunday  School  Union,  it  would  force  them  out 
of  business.  No  body  of  Christian  people  has  established  and  is 
maintaining  a  larger  number  of  hospitals,  orphanages  and  philan- 
thropic institutions,  which  are  open  to  the  public  regardless  of 
race  or  creed.  Dr.  Hays  discovered  in  one  of  these  great  Pres- 
byterian hospitals  that  seventy-four  inmates  out  of  every  hundred 
come  from  Methodists,  Lutherans  and  Romanists,  while  only  eight 
were  Presbyterians.  Jews,  Unitarians  and  Friends  largely  ac- 
counted for  the  rest.  The  philanthropies  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  representing  an  investment  annually  of  millions  of  dol- 
lars,  free  to  all  classes  and  creeds,   for  the  relief  of  suffering 

143 


humanity,  are  her  efforts  to  re-incarnate  the  helping  hand  and 
loving  heart  of  Christ  as  vital  forces  in  the  life  of  the  world 
today.  Christ,  who  lived  among  men  two  thousand  years  ago,  who 
still  lives  for  men  on  the  throne  of  the  universe,  is  also  living  as 
well  in  men,  visibly  revealed  in  the  life  of  His  Church. 

III. 

Presbjrterian  Preeminence  in  Federation. 

The  sectarian  exclusiveness  which  has  been  the  reproach  of 
Christendom  in  the  past  is  gradually  but  surely  yielding  to  the 
impact  of  fraternity  and  Christian  charity.  The  visible  manifes- 
tation of  the  new  spirit  is  expressing  itself  in  the  closer  relation 
and  growing  federation  of  the  churches  for  mutual  sympathy  and 
friendly  cooperation.  The  Federal  Council  of  Churches,  the 
Students'  Volunteer  Movement,  the  Home  Mission  Council,  the 
Conference  for  Foreign  Missions,  are  some  of  the  great  inter- 
denominational organizations  of  the  day  which  give  expression 
to  the  principle  of  the  spiritual  unity  of  Christendom.  Some  of 
the  larger  denominations  have  steadfastly  declined  to  enter  or  take 
any  part  in  these  great  federations  of  the  Christian  forces  and  of 
the  visible  unity  of  the  Church.  The  Presbyterian  Church  has 
without  exception  not  only  extended  her  hand  and  heart  to  each 
and  all  of  them,  but  has  taken  a  leading  part  in  their  formation 
and  in  their  operation.  Such  is  her  preeminent  part  and  active 
influence  that  withdrawal  from  either  would  seriously  embarrass 
the  organization.  With  confidence  it  may  be  affirmed  and  the 
statement  will  scarcely  be  challenged,  that  no  denomination  in  ex- 
istence sustains  such  vital  rela*:ion  to  all  these  federations  as  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  It  is  the  supreme  evidence  of  the  liberal 
and  catholic  spirit  of  the  System  of  Presbyterianism,  not  only 
throughout  Christendom  but  in  all  the  affairs  of  men. 

IV. 

The  Community  of  Faith  and  Life. 

In  all  its  fundamental  beliefs  and  essential  features  it  has  a 
community  of  faith  and  life  shared  by  evangelical  Christendom, 

144 


which  is  the  surest  witness  of  its  own  catholicity.  In  its  entire 
system  it  has  nothing  exclusively  distinctive,  but  every  funda- 
mental principle  is  endorsed  and  shared  by  one  or  more  historic 
Faiths.  In  the  great  Reformation,  Martin  Luther,  representative 
of  one  of  the  largest  Protestant  bodies  of  the  world,  stood  with 
John  Calvin  for  the  vital  evangelical  principle  of  justification  by 
faith.  In  the  English  revival  as  a  protest  against  dead  formality, 
Calvinistic  Whitefield  and  John  Wesley,  founder  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  stood  side  by  side  for  the  evangelistic  spirit  of  Christi- 
anity. In  its  theology,  Presbyterianism  shares  its  Calvinistic  sys- 
tem with  the  great  Baptist  forces  of  the  world.  In  the  spontaneity 
of  its  religious  experiences  under  the  immediate  and  direct  influ- 
ences of  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  joins  with  William  Penn  and  George 
Fox  of  the  Quaker  faith.  In  its  scriptural  mode  of  baptism  and 
its  practice  of  infant  baptism,  based  upon  the  promises  of  the 
covenant-keeqing  God,  Presbyterianism  is  reinforced  by  the  over- 
whelming majority  of  the  hosts  of  the  Israel  of  God  throughout 
Christendom.  Presbyterianism  teaches  and  practices  its  theology 
of  Christian  unity.  It  extends  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  to  all 
believers  of  all  Faiths,  saying  with  Paul :  "So  we,  being  many,  are 
one  body  in  Christ  and  every  one  members  one  of  another."  Em- 
bodied in  modern  terms  and  figures  of  speech  is  the  same  thought : 
"Many  as  the  waves,  one  as  the  sea";  many  as  the  stars,  one  as 
the  firmament ;  many  folds,  but  one  flock ;  many  organizations,  but 
one  Church.  Presbyterianism,  the  system  that  more  than  all  others 
embodies  the  fundamentals  common  to  all,  is  the  connecting  link 
that  allies  itself  to  each  and  insists  on  the  Communion  of  Saints 
on  the  principle  of  a  community  of  faith  and  life,  maintaining: 
"There  is  one  body,  and  one  Spirit,  even  as  ye  are  called  in  one 
hope  of  your  calling;  one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,  one 
God  and  Father  of  all,  who  is  above  all,  and  through  all,  and 
in  you  all." 

This  unique  position  as  the  only  Church  which  in  her  creed 
teaches  the  unity  of  the  Church  and  advocates  that  the  Communion 
of  Saints  be  extended  to  all  those  who  in  every  place  call  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  surely  entitles  her  to  the  eulogy 
so  eloquently  pronounced  by  Dr.  Charles  A.  Briggs  in  "American 

145 


Presbyterianism" :  "The  Presbyterian  Church  has  the  true  apos- 
tolic succession  in  striving  after  the  apostolic  faith  in  its  purity, 
integrity  and  fulness.  Presbyterianism  is  a  real  Christianity  which 
rejects  everything  which  is  not  a  product  of  the  Christianity  of 
Jesus  Christ.  It  appropriates  everything  in  every  age  of  the 
Church  which  bears  the  impress  of  Christ  and  which  represents 
the  power  of  His  Spirit.  Presbyterianism  belongs  to  the  modern 
age  of  the  world,  but  it  is  not  a  departure  from  the  Christianity 
from  the  times  of  the  apostles  until  the  present  day.  It  com- 
prehends the  genuine  Christianity  of  all  ages.  It  conserves  all 
the  achievements  of  the  Christian  Church.  It  leads  the  van  of 
the  advancing  host  of  God.  It  makes  steady  progress  towards 
the  realization  of  the  ideal  of  Christianity  in  the  golden  age  of 
the  Messiah." 

V. 

Conforming  to  the  Presbyterian  Type. 

After  the  battle  of  Salamis,  the  Greek  Generals,  thirty  in  num- 
ber, met  to  award  the  mead  of  praise  to  that  one  of  their  number 
justly  entitled  to  the  honor  by  reason  of  his  part  and  distinguished 
services  in  winning  the  brilliant  victory.  Each  was  instructed  to 
vote  for  his  first  and  second  choice.  In  counting  the  ballots  it  was 
discovered  that  they  had  received  one  vote  each  for  first  place, 
while  Themistocles  received  thirty  votes  for  the  second  choice. 
It  was  the  most  overwhelming  testimony  that  he  was  entitled  to 
the  honor  of  having  rendered  the  most  distinguished  services  in 
achieving  the  victory.  If  in  like  manner  the  denominations  were 
given  the  opportunity  of  selecting  one  as  the  church  upon  which 
all  could  unite,  being  allowed  to  vote  for  first  and  second  choice, 
it  is  almost  a  moral  certainty  that  each  would  vote  for  itself  as 
first  choice  and  the  overwhelming  majority  would  cast  their  ballot 
for  the  Presbyterian  as  second  choice.  The  truth  of  this  conten- 
tion can  be  verified  by  making  the  experiment  of  testing  a  very 
large  number  of  persons  in  all  denominations  and  tabulating  the 
result. 

Still  more  conclusive  would  be  the  test  of  a  study  of  the  modern 
movements  and  gradual  developments  now  taking  place  under  our 

146 


very  eyes  in  the  ecclesiastical  world.  The  tendency  in  modern 
church  life  is  the  conformity  of  others  to  the  Presbyterian  type. 
The  Congregational,  which  was  once  ruled  by  the  popular  vote 
of  the  local  church,  independent  of  all  others,  now  has  its  "Asso- 
ciations" or  "Councils,"  which  are  assuming  more  and  more 
ecclesiastical  authority,  and  whose  decisions  have  come  to  possess 
such  sufficient  moral  force  and  to  make  them  differ  very  little 
from  our  Presbyteries.  The  Methodist  Church,  as  late  as  the 
Civil  War,  did  not  admit  the  laity,  and  was  ruled  chiefly  by 
Bishops;  but  it  has  now  admitted  laymen  in  its  conferences,  and 
is  practically  Presbyterian  in  government.  The  Lutheran  is  as 
Presbyterian  in  form  of  Government  as  the  Presbyterian  itself  in 
ever)rthing  except  in  name.  The  Baptists,  closer  akin  to  Presby- 
terians in  their  theology  than  any  others,  who  once  were  the 
staunchest  advocates  of  Independency,  are  now  drifting  nearer  to 
Presbyterianism  in  their  form  of  government.  In  theory  their 
churches  have  been  quite  independent  in  the  past,  and  many  are 
still  as  independent  as  ever,  yet  their  "Associations,"  while  claim- 
ing no  sanction  than  moral  suasion,  do  not  hesitate  to  exclude 
from  their  "fellowship"  such  churches  as  are  recalcitrant  to 
advice,  which  gives  these  voluntary  Associations  practically  all  the 
influence  and  the  authority  of  Presbyteries.  Is  it  any  wonder,  in 
view  of  these  facts,  that  the  author  of  the  sixth  volume  of  "Ameri- 
can Church  History"  affirms  that  "As  a  whole  the  Protestantism 
of  America  has  become  Presbyterian  in  substance,  though  not  in 
name." 

VI. 

Catholicity  in  the  Extent  of  Empire. 

The  catholic  and  Ecumenical  character  of  Presbyterianism  is 
displayed  in  the  growth  of  its  membership  and  the  vastness  of  its 
constituency.  At  the  Eleventh  General  Council  of  the  Pan-Pres- 
byterian Alliance  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  the  following  statistics  were 
officially  submitted  with  the  statement  that  they  were  "the  most 
reliable  ever  published  of  the  Presbyterian  and  Reformed 
Churches  of  the  World." 

147 


TABLE. 


Churches 

Congre- 
gations 

Min- 
isters 

Elders 

Commu- 
nicants 

Pupils 
in  S.  S. 

S.  S. 
Teachers 

European  Conti- 
nent   

6,549 

5,850 

2,895 

1,516 

21,607 

189 

160 

854 

5,872 

5,596 

1,395 

694 

17,908 

150 

97 

826 

23,590 

37,029 

1,410 

4,071 

83,395 

492 

650 

4,738 

2,010,999 

1,654,219 

304,326 

454,453 

3,287,494 

27,812 

18,943 

121,565 

579,844 

850,155 

88,116 

56,146 

2,795,787 

15,176 

17,506 

111,967 

4,847 

United  Kingdom . 
Asia 

78,996 
3,887 

Africa 

2,341 

North  America... 
South  America . . . 

West  Indies 

Australasia 

833 

1,044 
11,909 

Totals 

39,620 

33,538 

155,375 

7,879,811 

4,414,797 

362,718 

This  table  does  not  include  Germany,  Switzerland  and  some 
other  countries  on  the  Continent  of  Europe,  owing  to  the  impos- 
sibility of  separating  communicants  from  constituency.  A  con- 
servative estimate  for  these  would  increase  the  number  to  over 
8,000,000.  The  total  constituency  of  Presbyterianism  throughout 
the  world  is  generally  estimated  at  40,000,000. 

Presbyterian  Empire,  World-Wide. 

Dr.  Egbert  W.  Smith,  Secretary  of  Foreign  Missions,  Presby- 
terian Church,  U.  S.,  rendered  splendid  service  to  the  cause,  by 
publishing  many  of  the  best  testimonies  to  the  worth  and  achieve- 
ments of  Presbyterianism  in  his  valuable  treatise  entitled  "The 
Creed  of  Presbyterians."  No  more  appropriate  conclusion  can 
enforce  the  contention  of  this  chapter  on  Presbyterian  Catholicity 
than  an  apt  quotation  from  this  book  as  to  the  numerical  strength 
of  Presbyterianism  and  wide  extent  of  its  empire : 

*'It  is  inspiring  to  remind  ourselves  that  ours  is  a  historic 
Church.  Our  present  millions  are  the  children  and  successors  of 
millions  upon  millions,  seated  now  in  the  galleries  of  History's 
vast  coliseum,  tier  above  tier,  generation  upon  generation,  of  those 
who  through  ages  of  toil,  trial  and  triumph,  'subdued  kingdoms, 
wrought  righteousness,  obtained  promises,  stopped  the  mouths  of 
lions,  quenched  the  violence  of  fire,  out  of  weakness  were  made 
strong,  waxed  valiant  in  fight,  turned  to  flight  the  armies  of  the 
aliens.* 

148 


"More  catholic  and  imposing  even  than  the  Presbyterian  num- 
bers is  the  world-wide  range  of  the  Presbyterian  empire.  While 
the  adherents  of  other  Protestant  communions  are  more  or  less 
massed  in  single  countries, — the  Lutherans  in  Germany,  the 
Episcopalians  in  England,  the  Methodists  and  Baptists  in  the 
United  States, — the  line  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  gone  out 
through  all  the  earth.  She  thrives  this  hour  in  more  continents, 
among  a  greater  number  of  nations  and  peoples  and  languages, 
than  any  other  evangelical  church  in  the  world.  As  her  witnesses 
in  Continental  Europe,  she  has  the  historic  Presbyterian  Reformed 
Churches  of  Austria,  Bohemia,  Galicia,  Moravia,  of  Hungary, 
Belgium,  France,  Germany,  of  Italy,  Greece,  the  Netherlands,  of 
Russia  and  Switzerland  and  Spain.  She  is  rooted  and  fruitful  in 
Africa,  in  Australia,  in  Asia,  in  Great  Britain,  in  North  America, 
in  South  America,  in  the  West  Indies,  in  New  Zealand,  in 
Malanesia, — ^the  people  of  this  faith  and  order  gird  the  earth. 
Presbyter ianism  possesses  a  power  of  adaptation  unparalleled  by 
any  other  system.  It  holds  in  steadfast  array  a  great  part  of  the 
intelligence  and  moral  vigor  of  the  Christian  world,  and  from 
its  abounding  spiritual  life  are  going  forth  the  mighty  forces  of 
Christian  missions  into  all  the  heathen  world." 


149 


CHAPTER  X. 

S^vtihpttximiim  anb  Misiiionsi 

PRESUMPTION  IN  ITS  FAVOR. 

The  essential  principles  of  Calvinism  would  lead  us  beforehand 
to  infer  that  it  would  furnish  the  strongest  incentive  to  successful 
missionary  effort.  Nothing  is  more  reassuring  and  better  calcu- 
lated to  arouse  the  supremest  effort  for  the  advancement  of  the 
kingdom  than  a  profound  belief  in  the  divine  sovereignty  of  God, 
who  "sits  on  no  precarious  throne"  and  sends  His  servants  on  no 
uncertain  mission.  In  human  governments,  that  army  will  struggle 
most  valiantly  which  has  implicit  confidence  in  the  competency  of 
the  government  to  direct  its  affairs,  and  its  ability  to  execute  its 
purposes.  Calvinism  enthrones  God  in  His  sovereign  Omnipo- 
tence, directing  all  the  events  of  the  universe  according  to  a 
divinely  appointed  plan,  arranged  in  the  councils  of  eternity. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  His  subjects,  persuaded  that  they  are 
executing  the  designs  of  God  himself,  toil  in  the  strength,  born  of 
the  conviction  that  though  their  immediate  designs  may  fail,  and 
they  themselves  perish,  yet  God  himself  lives  and  reigns,  and  will 
in  His  own  sovereign  wisdom  and  appointed  time  bring  to  pass 
His  purposes  of  grace?  Missions  may  challenge  their  faith,  and 
make  unrelenting  draughts  on  their  resources  and  activities,  but 
what  matters  it,  if  it  be  the  sovereign  purpose  of  God? 

Distrust  of  self  would  ordinarily  weaken  and  paralyze  all  effort, 
were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  such  distrust  flings  the  soul  back  upon 
God  in  its  weakness,  and  by  an  abiding  faith  in  Him,  obtains  a 
strength  that  is  invincible.  "When  I  am  weak,  then  am  I  strong," 
is  the  paradox  of  Calvinism.  Will  the  impulsive,  spasmodic  zeal 
springing  from  self-indulgence  and  reliance  on  human  means, 
stand  the  strain  of  long-continued  effort  so  well  as  one  who  makes 
God  his  confidence,  and  "endures  as  seeing  Him  who  is  invisible"  ? 
The  firm  conviction,  that  we  rest  not  on  human  but  divine 
efficiency,  gives  stability  to  our  vacillating  efforts,  and  makes  us 

150 


strong  by  "the  mighty  hands  of  the  God  of  Jacob."  These  "shall 
mount  up  on  wings  as  eagles,  they  shall  run  and  not  be  weary,  and 
they  shall  walk  and  not  faint," — in  the  Hurculean  task  of  bringing 
the  world  to  Christ. 

Not  simply  viewed  from  the  standpoint  of  belief  in  the  divine 
sovereignty,  does  Calvinism  thus  evince  its  superiority  as  a  potent 
influence  in  world-wide  evangelization,  but  it  is  equally  evident 
from  the  human  standpoint  of  the  perseverance  of  the  saints.  If 
the  stereotyped  objection  to  Calvinism  were  true,  that  it  is  cold, 
calculating,  lacking  in  fervor,  it  would  be  more  than  counterbal- 
anced by  the  steady,  persistent,  unflinching,  perseverance  of  an  un- 
daunted faith,  which  holds  on  the  even  tenor  of  its  way  in  the 
face  of  opposition,  despite  difficulties  and  discouragements,  till  it 
wrings  victory  out  of  defeat.  The  fevered  brain  may  produce 
momentarily  an  unnatural  strength,  born  of  delirium ;  but  will  it 
endure  the  trials  and  press  on  in  the  race  with  the  steady  gait  of 
one  in  the  full  possession  of  robust  health. 

Calvinism  finds  its  analogy,  not  in  the  "whirlwind"  of  impet- 
uosity, not  in  the  "fire"  of  religious  fanaticism,  nor  in  the  "earth- 
quake" of  spasmodic  upheavals,  but  in  the  "still  small  voice"  that 
speaks  conviction  in  the  silent  depths  of  the  soul.  If,  in  the  sphere 
of  missions,  failure  and  disaster  overtake  his  best  efforts,  and  suc- 
cess be  long  delayed,  the  Calvinist  undeterred  sees  in  the  analogy 
of  nature  how  slowly  and  silently  she  elaborates  the  best  and 
grandest  results  of  her  mighty  plan  by  gradual  processes  and  takes 
comfort  in  the  thought,  that  in  the  Kingdom  of  Grace,  God  works 
by  the  same  methods  and  executes  His  largest  purposes  by  the 
steady,  irresistible  perseverance  of  the  saints,  remembering  that 
though  "the  Kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation,"  it 
comes  none  the  less  surely. 

I. 

Results,  the  Practical  Test. 

Tested  by  practical  results,  will  an  appeal  to  the  history  of 
missions  justify  this  contention,  that  the  principles  of  Calvinism 
pre-eminently  qualify  its  adherents  for  leadership  in  evangelizing 
the  world? 

151 


The  Early  Days  of  Christianity. 

In  its  theological  aspect,  Calvinism,  existing  ages  before  Calvin, 
had  its  influence  in  the  early  days  of  Christianity  on  the  life  and 
activity  of  the  church.  In  character  it  made  men  conspicuous  in 
their  differentiation  from  other  classes.  In  zeal  and  activity,  it 
enlisted  the  rank  and  file  of  the  church  in  a  religious  enthusiasm, 
which  went  from  house  to  house,  and  carried  the  Gospel  "to  the 
uttermost  part  of  the  earth." 

The  Apostle  Paul  is  the  classical  illustration  of  the  spirit  of  the 
ancient  church.  Is  it  a  mere  coincidence  that  Paul,  recognized  as 
the  profoundest  exponent  of  Calvinism,  is  at  the  same  time  re- 
garded next  to  the  Master  himself,  as  the  type  and  model  of  all 
missionary  effort.  Opponents  of  Calvinism  have  not  hesitated  to 
charge  Paul  with  the  responsibility  of  giving  the  Calvinistic  cast 
to  the  theological  thought  of  the  church.  Yet  this  same  Paul  is 
always  exalted  as  the  greatest  and  grandest  of  all  missionaries. 

The  Calvinism  of  the  first  century  was  as  unquestionable  as 
that  of  Paul  himself,  who  gave  cast  to  the  thinking  of  the  first 
century.  Sacred  history,  ere  closing,  itself  gives  significant 
glimpses  of  the  missionary  spirit  of  the  church  while  under  the 
dominating  influence  of  Calvinism.  That  was  an  exquisite  touch 
which  records  in  the  language  of  the  church's  enemies,  the  estimate 
of  apostolic  success,  complaining:  "These  that  have  turned  the 
world  upside  down  have  come  hither  also.*'  It  was  not  an  ardent 
admirer  of  Paul  who  testified  to  his  credit,  "That  not  alone  at 
Ephesus,  but  almost  throughout  all  Asia,  this  Paul  hath  persuaded 
and  turned  away  much  people  from  idolatry."  Paul  himself  gives 
a  suggestive  hint  of  the  missionary  propaganda  of  the  age  by 
asserting,  that  they  had  preached  the  Gospel  "to  every  creature 
which  is  under  heaven."   (Col.  1 :23..) 

The  remarkable  characteristic  of  the  evangelism  of  ancient 
Christianity  was  its  propaganda  in  the  face  of  persecution,  and 
even  at  the  cost  of  martyrdom.  The  Calvinism  which  made  heroes 
and  martyrs  of  men  gave  also  through  them  such  an  exhibition  of 
missionary  zeal  and  successful  propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  those 

152 


early  days  of  Christianity  as  has  never  since  been  paralleled  in 
the  history  of  the  world. 

John  Calvin,  the  Father  of  Modem  Missions. 

In  the  Christian  Retrospect  and  Register,  Robert  Baird,  upon  the 
authority  of  the  "Historie  Universelle,"  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  first  mission  undertaken  by  Protestantism : 

"To  Calvin,  the  Reformer  of  Geneva,  belongs  the  credit  of 
having  first  attempted,  in  the  Protestant  churches,  to  excite  interest 
in  behalf  of  a  heathen  nation.  An  expedition  was  fitted  out  in 
the  year  1555  by  Villegagnon,  a  Knight  of  Malta,  under  the 
patronage  of  Henry  II  of  France,  with  the  view  of  establishing  a 
French  colony  in  the  New  World.  The  approbation  of  the  mon- 
arch was  secured  through  the  medium  of  the  excellent  Admiral 
De  Coligny,  whose  favor  Villegagnon  propitiated  by  the  secret 
understanding  that  the  projected  colony  should  protect  the  Re- 
formed religion.  Accordingly,  Calvin  was  applied  to,  in  order  to 
obtain  ministers  to  embark  with  the  expedition. 

"After  consultation  with  the  other  pastors  of  Geneva,  he  sent 
two — Guillaume  Chartier  and  Pierre  Richier, — ^who  were  after- 
wards joined  by  several  others.  Their  object  was,  at  onoe,  to 
labor  among  the  colonists  and  to  evangelize  the  heathen  aborigines. 
The  expedition  reached  Fort  Coligny,  as  it  was  named,  on  the 
Rio  De  Janeiro,  Brazil,  in  March,  1556.  On  their  arrival,  the 
Genevan  ministers  proceeded  to  constitute  a  church,  according  to 
the  forms  and  rites  of  the  Reformed  churches,  and  celebrated  the 
Lord's  Supper.  But  Villegagnon  soon  betrayed  his  true  character 
and  disposition,  and  after  cruelly  maltreating  the  missionaries, 
forced  them  to  reembark  and  return  to  France." 

One  can  scarcely  avoid  speculation  as  to  what  "might  have 
been,"  if  the  unfortunate  mission  had  not  thus  been  prematurely 
wrecked.  As  Calvin's  name  is  associated  with  Augustine,  the 
great  theologian,  might  it  not  also  have  been  linked  with  Augustine 
the  missionary  in  the  conversion  of  a  continent?  If  the  seeds  of 
Protestant  Christianity  planted  by  him  in  South  America  had 
germinated,  who  can  say  if  the  glory  of  that  misguided  continent 
might  not  have  shown  with  all  the  lustre  of  Protestant  North 

153 


America  ?  But,  alas !  his  missionary  venture  served  no  useful  pur- 
pose, except  to  exhibit  his  Christian  spirit  and  benevolent  attitude 
toward  world-wide  evangelization  in  obedience  to  the  great  Com- 
mission. 

Just  as  a  premature  blossom  in  the  treacherous  Indian  summer, 
though  nipped  by  the  early  frosts  of  winter,  is  nevertheless  a 
prophecy  of  the  coming  spring;  so  Calvin's  ill-timed  evangelism 
was  but  the  guarantee  of  the  evangelistic  spirit  of  Calvinism,  when 
the  springtime  of  favorable  seasons  should  furnish  opportunity  to 
flower  out  in  the  glorious  harvest  of  the  world's  conversion. 

In  the  providence  of  God,  his  missionary  zeal  was  confined  to  the 
work  of  laying  foundations  in  practical  home  mission  work,  while 
foreign  missions  was  rather  the  future  outcome  of  his  spirit  and 
principles.  Though  the  foundation  of  an  edifice  may  not  be  as 
ornate  and  attractive  as  the  superstructure,  3^et  it  must  be  even 
more  substantial  by  reason  of  its  supreme  importance.  The  glory 
of  Calvin  in  the  sphere  of  missions  is  the  glory  of  laying  founda- 
tions ;  and  he  must  also  share  the  glory  of  the  magnificent  super- 
structure, supported  by  so  substantial  a  basis.  If  some  twentieth 
century  Apostle  Paul  should  convert  South  America  +o  Protes- 
tantism, and  place  a  new  continent  in  the  galaxy  of  evangelical 
Christianit}',  v/ould  that  be  more  glorious  than  the  transcendent 
work  of  Calvin,  whose  well-nigh  inspired  genius  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  North  America's  future  greatness,  and  made  it  such  a 
potent  factor  in  the  evangelization  of  the  world  as  to  justify  the 
rallying  cry,  "As  goes  America,  so  goes  the  world"? 

II. 

Calvinism  Inhierently  and  Intensely  Missionary. 

In  its  primitive  purity  and  reaction  from  Catholicism  as  the 
result  of  the  Reformation,  judged  by  its  flaming  zeal  and  in  the 
number  of  churches  which  is  established,  Calvanism  demonstrat- 
ed itself  as  the  most  powerful  evangelistic  force  since  the  Apost- 
olic age.  With  amazing  rapidity  it  overspread  Europe,  muster- 
ing to  its  support  countless  thousands  in  a  living  and  aggressive 
Christianity.     In  twenty-five  years  after  Calvin  began  his  cam- 

154 


paign  there  were  two  thousand  places  of  Calvinistic  worship 
with  a  half  million  of  worshippers  in  France  alone.  Before  his 
death  the  Calvinists  numbered  one-fourth  of  the  entire  French 
population. 

"The  Lutheran  Reformation,"  says  Dyer  in  his  History  of 
Modern  Europe,  "traveled  but  little  out  of  Germany  and  the 
neighboring  Scandinavian  kingdoms;  while  Calvinism  obtained 
a  European  character,  and  was  adopted  in  all  the  countries  that 
adopted  a  reformation  from  without,  as  France,  as  the  Nether- 
lands, Scotland,  even  England ;  for  the  early  English  Reformation 
under  Edward  VI  was  Calvinistic,  and  Calvin  was  incontestably 
the  father  of  our  Puritans  and  dissenters.  Thus,  under  his  rule, 
Geneva  may  be  said  to  have  become  the  capital  of  European 
Reform." 

In  his  History  of  Reformation,  D*Aubigne  pays  a  tribute  to  its 
propagating  power,  saying:  "The  reformation  of  Calvin  was 
addressed  particularly  to  the  people,  among  whom  it  raised  up 
martyrs  until  the  time  came  when  it  was  to  send  forth  the  spirit- 
ual conquerors  of  the  world.  For  three  centuries  it  has  been  pro- 
ducing in  the  social  condition  of  the  nations  that  have  received  it, 
transformations  unknown  to  former  times.  And  still  at  this 
very  day,  and  now  perhaps  more  than  ever,  it  imparts  to  the 
men  who  accept  it  a  spirit  of  power  which  makes  them  chosen 
instruments  fitted  to  propagate  truth,  morality,  and  civilization  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth." 
Calvinism  and  Modern  Revivals. 

Credit  must  be  accorded  the  Methodist  Church  as  a  tremendous 
evangelistic  force,  but  its  impetus  was  not  due  to  its  Arminianism. 
John  Wesley  was  characterized  not  only  by  his  saintliness,  but 
by  his  genius  as  an  organizer.  His  magnificent  system  accounts 
largely  for  the  marvelous  success  of  that  noble  Church,  but  it 
was  Calvinistic  George  Whitefield  that  imparted  to  the  move- 
ment its  evangelistic  spirit,  which  has  not  yet  spent  its  force. 
It  was  Whitefield  who  lead  Wesley  into  field  preaching  and  into 
"revival"  methods,  and  who  so  dominated  the  movement  that 
Mant,  in  his  Bampton  Lectures  for  1812,  characterizes  Method- 
ism as  an  entirely  Calvinistic  affair,  and  asserts  that  in  the  popu- 

155 


lar  language  of  the  day  Methodists  were  designated  as  "another 
sect  of  Presbyterians."  Without  in  the  slightest  detracting  from 
the  great  honor  which  the  world  must  ever  accord  John  Wesley, 
still  it  must  in  justice  be  admitted  that  George  Whitefield  was 
the  flaming  evangelist  of  his  day  and  must  be  acclaimed  as  the 
father  of  modern  revivals. 

The  World's  Greatest  Evangelists,  Calvinists. 

Arminianism  has  produced  many  local  revivals  arid  must  be 
credited  with  the  salvation  of  millions,  but  it  has  never  inspired 
a  nation-wide  movement.  The  revival  which  swept  New  England 
and  until  that  time  the  greatest  in  the  history  of  the  American 
Colonies  resulted  from  a  series  of  Calvinistic  sermons  by 
Jonathan  Edwards.  The  men  who  have  awakened  the  consciences 
of  men  and  swept  countless  multitudes  into  the  Kingdom  were 
Calvinists  almost  to  a  man,  such  as  John  Knox,  Thomas  Chalmers, 
George  Whitefield,  Jonathan  Edwards,  David  Brainard,  Wilbur 
Chapman,  Tennent,  Griffin,  Nettleton,  Daniel  Baker,  Moody, 
Torrey,  Spurgeon  and  W.  A.   Sunday. 

III. 

The  Missionary  Spirit  of  Presb3rterianism. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  not  only  leads  the  world  in  per  capita 
gifts  for  missions,  but  its  spirit  and  example  have  been  the  in- 
spiration of  Christendom. 

Among  the  Reformers,  who  led  the  way  of  Protestantism 
in  the  first  missionary  venture,  but  the  Calvinists  of  Geneva? 
Who  penetrated  first  the  trackless  forests  of  the  New  World, 
carrying  the  gospel  to  its  untamed  savages,  but  Brainerd 
and  Eliot.  Who  led  the  missionary  movement,  which  is  awaken- 
ing all  Christendom  to  the  task  of  making  Christ  known  throughout 
the  world?  If  the  roll  were  called  of  the  Calvinists  who  have  led 
the  advancing  hosts  of  the  Church,  in  its  attack  on  heathenism, 
it  would  include  well-nigh  all  the  great  names  of  history  conspicu- 
ous for  missionary  enthusiasm  and  achievement.  Time  would 
fail  to  enumerate  William  Cary,  Henry  Martyn,  David  Living- 
stone, Robert  MoflFatt,  Alexander  DufT,  Adoniram  Judson,  Robert 

156 


Morrison,  John  G.  Paton,  John  Leighton  Wilson,  William  H. 
Sheppard,  and  a  vast  host  of  others  who,  "through  faith  subdued 
kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness,  obtained  promises,  stopped 
the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched  the  violence  of  fire,  escaped  the 
edge  of  the  sword,  out  of  weakness  were  made  strong,  waxed 
valiant  in  fight."  etc. 

According  to  Dr.  Moses  D.  Hoge,  "the  first  missionary  since 
the  Reformation  sent  forth  by  any  church  in  its  corporate  capacity, 
and  ordained  to  labor  in  the  foreign  field,  was  Alexander  DuflF 
(commissioned  by  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland),  whose 
name  stands  as  a  synonym  of  whatever  is  heroic,  self-sacrificing 
and  saintly  in  missionary  character  and  achievement. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Alliance  of  Reformed  Churches  in 
Glasglow,  Prof.  Lindsay  informed  that  august  and  venerable 
body,  representing  the  larger  part  of  the  Calvinistic  forces  of 
the  world,  that  "The  Presbyterian  churches  do  more  than  a  fourth 
of  the  whole  mission  work  among  the  heathen  that  is  done  by  all 
the  Protestant  churches  together,"  and  mentioning  three  of  the 
greatest  denominations,  asserted  that,  "The  Presbyterian  Church  is 
doing  more  in  the  foreign  field  than  all  of  them  combined." 

At  the  same  meeting  of  the  Alliance,  representatives  of  the 
Eastern  Section  of  the  Ecumenical  Methodist  Conference  ap- 
peared and  made  a  most  cordial  and  pleasing  address,  expressing 
their  fraternal  good  will  and  appreciation  of  our  principles  and 
work  in  the  following  complimentary  language : 

"Taking  the  world  over,  Presbyterianism  in  the  future  must 
be  looked  to  as  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  beneficient  forces 
for  the  conversion  and  evangelization  of  the  generations  of  man- 
kind on  every  continent.  We  do  unfeignedly  rejoice  as  we  be- 
hold your  goodly  array  of  churches,  giving  the  noblest  of  their 
sons,  and  consecrating  their  vast  resources  of  learning  and  wealth 
to  the  greatest,  the  mightiest  of  all  enterprises,  the  conversion 
of  the  world  to  Christ,"  and  the  address  closes  with  the  prayer 
that  our  "cherished  ideal  of  *a  free  church  in  a  free  state*  shall 
in  every  nation  under  heaven  be  an  accomplished  fact,  and  every 
citizen  be  taught  that  the  chief  end  of  man  is  to  glorify  God  and 
enjoy  Him  forever." 

157 


American  Presbyterianism  and  Missions. 

Intense  enthusiasm  has  not  always  characterized  the  Presbyter- 
ian Church  of  America  during  the  entire  century  of  its  organized 
missionary  effort.  The  modern  spirit  of  missions  was  of  slow 
growth  among  all  branches  of  the  Church.  Nearly  one  hundred 
years  ago  the  famous  overture  of  Dr.  John  H.  Rice,  the  founder 
of  Union  Theological  Seminary  in  Virginia,  was  presented  to  the 
General  Assembly  of  1831,  in  which  he  challenged  the  Assembly 
to  recognize  more  emphatically  the  evangelistic  mission  of  the 
church.  It  seems  almost  incredible  to  us  in  this  age  of  missionary 
zeal  that  this  overture  was  not  immediately  adopted  by  the  Assem- 
bly. Nevertheless  it  stirred  the  Church  and  had  the  effect  of  com- 
mitting it  to  a  distinctive  missionary  career  in  the  following  terms : 

"First,  that  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  is 
a  missionary  society,  the  object  of  which  is  to  aid  in  the  conver- 
sion of  the  world;  and  that  every  member  of  the  Church  is  a 
member  for  life  of  the  said  society,  and  bound  in  the  maintenance 
of  his  Christian  character  to  do  all  in  his  power  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  object.  Second,  Ministers  of  the  gospel  in  con- 
nection with  the  Presbyterian  Church  are  most  solemnly  required 
to  present  this  subject  to  the  members  of  their  respective  congre- 
gation, using  every  effort  to  make  them  feel  their  obligation  and 
to  induce  them  to  contribute  according  to  their  ability." 

Since  that  overture  was  proposed  the  Presbyterian  Churches 
in  America  have  grown  from  an  insignificant  host  of  135,000 
communicants  to  an  aggregate  strength  of  12  denominations  and 
3,000,000  communicants, — ^their  representatives  preaching  the 
gospel  among  nearly  all  the  nations  of  the  globe. 

At  its  organization  in  1861  into  a  separate  religious  body,  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  — popularly  known  as  the  Southern 
Church, — gave  the  world  a  heroic  spectacle  of  its  faith  in  God  and 
a  sublime  exibition  of  its  missionary  spirit.  Amid  the  throes 
of  Civil  War,  the  bitterness  of  sectional  feeling  and  the  agony 
of  a  disrupted  Nation,  the  first  General  Assembly  of  the  South- 
ern Church  rose  sheer  above  the  awful  conflict  to  the  contempla- 
tion of  the  Saviour's  last  command  and  accepted  its  missionary 
responsibility — obedient  to  the  great  Commission — in  the  follow- 

158 


ing  striking  language :  "The  General  Assembly  desires  distinctly 
and  deliberately  to  inscribe  on  our  Church's  banner  as  she  now 
unfolds  it  to  the  world,  in  immediate  connection  with  the  head- 
ship of  her  Lord,  His  last  Command.  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature,  regarding  this  as  the 
great  end  of  her  organization." 

The  organic  life  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  U.  S.  began  in  1861 
with  10  Synods,  47  Presbyteries,  700  Ministers,  1,000  Churches 
and  75,000  Communicants.  After  the  lapse  of  sixty  years  it  now 
numbers  2,000  Ministers,  3,500  Churches  and  400,000  Communi- 
cants, and  contributed  in  1920  to  Foreign  Missions,  $1,153,629; 
to  Home  Missions,  $1,436,986;  and  a  total  to  all  purposes  of 
$12,124,891.  It  supports  400  Foreign  Missionaries  and  3,000 
native  helpers  and  more  than  1,000  Home  Missionaries.  During 
1920  its  net  growth  was  55^  per  cent. — ^about  double  that  of  any 
other  large  denomination — and  for  ten  years  it  has  lead  all  de- 
nominations in  the  United  States  in  net  gains,  aggregating  39  per 
cent. 

Presbyterianism,  Cosmopolitan. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  is  the  most  cosmopolitan  of  Protest- 
ant Christendom.  Others  are  largely  national.  A  religious 
periodical  recently  carried  the  following  striking  statement: 
"Denominations  are  not  equally  scattered  over  the  world.  In- 
vestigations show  that  three-fourths  of  all  the  Baptists  of  the 
world  live  in  the  United  States  south  of  a  line  run  across  the 
country  along  the  northern  boundary  of  Virginia  to  the  Ohio 
River  and  extending  westward  from  its  mouth  to  the  Pacific. 
Three-fourths  of  the  Methodists  of  the  world  live  in  the  United 
States.  But  there  are  more  Presbyterians  outside  of  the  United 
States  than  there  are  in  its  borders.  Presbyterians,  Reformed 
and  Lutherans — all  of  whom  have  the  same  form  of  Church  gov- 
ernment,—constitute  three-fifths  of  all  the  Protestants  of  the 
world." 

That  was  not  a  vain-glorious  boast  of  the  American  Presby- 
terian Church  in  its  report  to  the  Alliance  of  the  Reformed 
Churches:     "The  missionary  heralds  of  our  Pan-American  Pres- 

159 


byterian  alone,  which  is  but  a  branch  of  the  catholic  Presbyterian 
Church,  are  scattered  from  British  Columbia  to  Yucatan;  they 
are  in  Central  America  and  in  Columbia;  Venezuela,  British 
Guiana  and  Brazil;  they  are  on  the  African  Coast  from  Liberia 
to  the  Ogowe,  and  in  the  heart  of  the  great  Congo  basin;  they 
are  strong  in  Syria  and  Persia,  and  side  by  side  in  India  our 
separate  columns  are  advancing  under  one  Captain;  we  are  pro- 
claiming glad  tidings  in  Siam  and  Laos,  in  Hainan  and  the  Phil- 
lipines,  in  Cuba  and  Formosa;  we  have  long  since  'partitioned 
China,*  not  for  political  spoil,  but  for  her  salvation;  our  united 
forces  are  teaching  the  Hermit  Nation  that,  as  no  man,  so  no 
nation,  liveth  to  itself ;  we  have  proclaimed  to  the  Sunrise  King- 
dom the  Sun  of  Righteousness  whose  rising  shall  know  no  set- 
ting. Our  strategic  points  are  taken,  our  stations  occupied,  our 
watch  towers  girdle  the  globe." 

IV. 

Calvinism  the  Guarantee  of  Victory. 

Calvinism  furnishes  the  only  guarantee  of  the  ultimate  triumph 
of  the  Gospel  in  extending  the  sceptre  of  Christ,  till  "The  King- 
doms of  this  world  are  become  the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  of 
His  Christ."  Others  may  indulge  a  well-grounded  hope  based  upon 
an  abiding  faith;  but  Calvinism  plants  itself  on  "The  sure  word 
of  prophecy"  and  maintains  that  the  conversion  of  the  world  is 
one  of  "the  eternal  decrees  of  God,"  revealed  as  "Foreordained 
for  His  own  glory,"  and  must  therefore  surely  "come  to  pass."  It 
has  been  prophesied  "that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  shall 
bow  .  .  .  and  every  tongue  shall  confess  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  Lord  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father,"  and  it  could  not  be 
prophesied  unless  it  had  been  predestinated;  for  contingent  and 
doubtful  events  cannot  be  prophesied..  Prophecy  is  always  and 
everywhere  based  on  foreordination,  and  not  upon  mere  fore- 
knowledge; for  prophecy  is  foreknowledge  revealed,  which  pre- 
supposes the  event,  as  a  fixed  and  unchangeable  decree. 

The  Son  of  God,  in  the  Second  Psalm,  encouraged  himself  in 
the  predestined  triumph  of  His  Kingdom:     "I  will  declare  the 

160 


decree,  the  Lord  said  unto  Me,  Thou  art  My  Son,  this  day  have  I 
begotten  Thee.    Ask  of  Me  and  I  will  give  Thee  the  heathen  for 
Thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  Thy 
possession."  Let  the  heathen  rage,  and  the  world  in  arms  com- 
bine; let  the  evil  powers  of  the  Kingdom  of  Darkness  assault 
the  Citadel  of  Faith;  let  all  the  world  join  in  a  universal  rebellion 
against  the  Lord  of  Glory;  nevertheless  the  eternal  decree  shall 
stand ;   for  "He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  shall  laugh ;   the  Lord 
shall  have  them  m  derision."     The  Lord  God  Omnipotent  pro- 
claims from  His  eternal  throne  in  the  heavens:     "Yet  have  I 
set  my  King  on  My  holy  hill  of  Zion,"  and  that  king  though  still 
uncrowned  and  at  the  moment  in  the  weakness  of  the  flesh,  even 
with  the  cross  confronting  him,  yet  could  proclaim :     "Upon  this 
Rock  I  will  build  my  church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  pre- 
vail against  it." 

"Waft,  waft,  ye  winds,  His  story, 

And  you,  ye  waters,  roll, 
Till,  like  a  sea  of  glory, 

It  spreads  from  pole  to  pole ; 
Till  o'er  our  ransomed  nature. 

The  Lamb   for  sinners  slain. 
Redeemer,  King,  Creator, 

In  bliss  returns  to  reign!" 


161 


CHAPTER  I. 
Presbyterianism — A  System- 

1.  What  is  one  characteristic  of  Truth? 

2.  What  constitutes  a  System? 

3.  What  is   characteristic  of   Presbyterianism? 

4.  What  is  its  first  Distinctive  Principle? 

5.  Illustrate  the  variations  of  this  principle?   . 

6.  What  is  the  Supreme  Authority  of  the  Catholic  Church? 

7.  What  is  the  function  and  limitation  of  Reason  in  Religion? 

8.  Name  the  Second  Distinctive  Principle  in  Presbyterianism? 

9.  What  is  the  relation  of  Predestination  and  Providence? 

10.  Illustrate  the  Relation  of  Sovereignty  and  Free-Agency. 

11.  Give  Scripture  quotations  including  both  in  the  same  Text. 

12.  Illustrate  their  connection  by  the  story  of  Joseph. 

13.  In  the  parable  of  the  Lost  (Luke  XV)  what  represents  the 

Divine  aspect  of  Salvation? 

14.  What  represents  the  Human  Side? 

15.  Illustrate  by  Analogy  of  Architecture. 

16.  What  is  the  Third  Principle  of  Presbyterianism? 

17.  Name  the  three  Primary  Forms  of  Church  Government. 

18.  What  is  the  essential  element  of  each? 

19.  What  is  the  first  element  of  the  Presbyterian  Form? 

20.  Quote  Scripture  texts  or  examples  in  proof. 

21.  Name  the  second  element. 

22.  Give    Scripture   references   showing    Elders    and    Bishops 

were  the  same. 

23.  What  is  the  third  element? 

24.  Give  Scriotural  proofs. 

25.  Name  the  fourth  element? 

26.  Quote  proofs  texts. 

162 


27.  What  is  the  fifth  element? 

28.  Establish  it  by  Scripture  references. 

29.  What  is  the  last  Distinctive  Principle  of  Presbyterianism  ? 

30.  Show  that  Church  and  State  function  in  separate  spheres. 

31.  Why  are  you  a  Presbyterian  ? 


163 


CHAPTER  II. 

Presbyterianism  in  History. 

1.  What  may  be  said  of  its  Antiquity? 

2.  State  the  difference  between  Genuine  and  Spurious  Apos- 

tolic Succession. 

3.  Which  preceded  Denominational  Principles,  or  Names? 

4.  State  the  Historic  Development  of  the  Church. 

5.  Quote  proofs   of    Presbyterianism  in  the   early   days   ofj 

Christianity. 

6.  Who  were  the  Waldenses? 

7.  Were  they  Presbyterian  in  all  their  parts? 

8.  What  proof  that  they  are  now  Presbyterian? 

9.  Give  account  of  the  origin  of  Celtic  Christianity. 

10.  Explain  its  existence  in  Wales,  Ireland,  Scotland. 

11.  Why  did  England  revert  to  Paganism? 

12.  What  type  did  Augustine  carry  to  England? 

13.  Show  that  St.  Patrick  in  Ireland  and  the  Culdees  in  Scot- 

land were  Christians- before  Augustine  landed  in  England. 

14.  Show  that  Celtic  Christianity  was  not  Roman  Catholic. 

15.  Describe  the  conflict  between  Celtic  and  Latin  Types. 

16.  Why  did  the  Reformation  flourish  in  Scotland? 

17.  Describe  the  conflict  with  Episcopacy. 

18.  Give  account  of  the  Covenanters'  struggle. 

19.  Name  some  of  the  Consequences  of  the  Restoration  of  the 

Stuarts. 

20.  Why  did  the  Westminster  Confession  fail  in  England  ? 

21.  Was  the  Conflict  transferred  to  America? 

22.  Was  the  War  of  the  Revolution  for  Civil  Rights  alone? 

23.  What  part  did  the  Presbyterians  play? 

24.  What  was  the  chief  victory  obtained? 

25.  What  is  the  Pan-Presbyterian  Alliance? 

26.  What  Historic  Churches  are  represented  in  it  ? 

164 


CHAPTER  III. 

Presbyterianism  and  Calvinism. 

1.  Explain  the  difference  and  relation  of  these  Terms. 

2.  What  Kindred   Philosophies  correspond   to   Fatalism   and 

Arminianism  ? 

3.  What  is  the  strongest  support  of   Calvinism? 

4.  Give  proof  texts  from  sayings  of  Christ. 

5.  Give  quotations  from  Paul,  from  Peter  and  John. 

6.  Give  similar  testimony  of   other  inspired   Writers. 

7.  How  is  Calvinism  sustained  by  the  Logic  of  Philosophy? 

8.  Demonstrate  by  the  Consistency  of  the  Divine  Attributes. 

9.  Unless  events  are  unchangeably  fixed,  could  they  be  fore- 

told by  Prophecy? 

10.  Show  that  Conditional  Decrees  are  contradictory. 

11.  How  does  Science  bear  blind  Testimony  to  Truth? 

12.  In  what  way  does  Literature  lend  Assent? 

13.  What  is  the  Calvinism  of  Presbyterianism? 

14.  Show  that  Calvinism  is  not  Fatalism. 

15.  Show  that  Sovereignity  and  Free-Agency  both  taught. 

16.  Give  illustrations  from  Analogy. 

17.  What  influence  has  Calvinism  on  Moral  Character? 

18.  Prove  this  contention  by  illustrations. 

19.  How  does  Calvinism  vindicate  the  Justice  of  God? 

20.  How  does  it  magnify  the  grace  of  God  ? 

21.  Why  is  Calvinism  revealed,  if  it  be  not  a  practical  guide 

in  life? 


16S 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Presbyterianism  and  Church  Polity. 

1.  What  is  the  first  chapter  of  Church  History? 

2.  Explain  the  difference  between  historic  and  scriptural, 

3.  What  is  the  keystone  of  Church  government  ? 

4.  Show  that  the  Prelatic  Theory  is  untenable. 

5.  Refute  the  Congregational  Theory. 

6.  What  is  the  Presbyterian  Interpretation? 

7.  Name  some  of  the  principles  practiced. 

8.  Show  that  rulers  and  not  the  people  acted. 

9.  Prove  this  principle  by  other  scripture, 

10.  By  names  of  rulers  and  distinctions  between  the  classes. 

11.  By  directions  how  to  rule. 

12.  By  instructions  to  obey  rulers. 

13.  By  plurality  of  elders  in  every  church. 

14.  Did  the  Apostles  exercise  more  authority  than  elders? 

15.  Show  the  equality  of  elders. 

16.  How  does  this  Council  exhibit  the  Unity  of  the  Church? 

17.  What  figures  applied  to  the  Church  are  expressions   of 

Unity? 

18.  Did  the  decision  affect  only  part  of  the  Church? 

19.  Show  that  it  exhibits  the  right  of  appeal. 

20.  Show  that  the  Council  appealed  to  the  Word  of  God. 

21.  Has  any  church  court  the  right  to  make  law  for  the  Church  ? 

22.  Who  is  the  sole  Ruler  and  Head  of  the  Church  ? 

23.  How  can  the  Church  today  ascertain  the  mind  of  the  Spirit? 


166 


CHAPTER  V. 

Presbyterianism  and  the  Sacraments. 
The  Lord's  Supper, 

1.  What  is  the  order  of  the   Sacraments? 

2.  What  bearing  have  they  on  the  Identity  of  the  Church  ? 

3.  What  is  the  purpose  and  significance  of  a  Sacrament? 

4.  What  were  the  Sacraments  of  the  Old  Testament? 

5.  What  are  the  Sacraments  of  the  Church  today? 

6.  Show  that  they  are  the  same  as  in  Old  Testament. 

7.  What  are  the  two  elements  in  every  Sacrament? 

8.  Define  the  Lord's  Supper. 

9.  What  is  the  Catholic  Interpretation? 

10.  Show  that  it  contradicts  our  Senses  and  Reason. 

11.  What   is  the   Lutheran   Interpretation? 

12.  How  does  it  contradict  the  laws  of  Nature? 

13.  What  is  the  Zwinglian  Theory? 

14.  What  is  its  Defect? 

15.  What  is  the  Calvinistic? 

16.  What  is  the  purpose  of  the  Lord's  Supper? 

17.  Why  is  it  a  Symbolic  Ordinance? 

18.  What  do  its  Symbols  teach? 

19.  What  is  the  Significance  of  a  Sealing  Ordinance? 

20.  Illustrate  by  the  threefold  uses  of  a  Seal. 

21.  What  does  it  Commemorate? 

22.  What  does  it  Anticipate? 

23.  What  is  meant  by  a  gracious  ordinance? 

24.  What  Exercises  does  it  awaken  in  a  Believer? 

25.  How  may  its  observance  be  improved? 

26.  Will  it  be  observed  in  Heaven? 


167 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Presbyterianism  and  the  Sacraments. 
Baptism. 

1.  Define  Baptism. 

2.  Is  the  mode  Essential? 

3.  What  is  the  difference  between  Bapto  and  Baptize? 

4.  What  is  the  classic  use  in  Greek  Literature? 

5.  Were  the  Israelites  baptized  in  the  Red  Sea? 

6.  Were  they  Immersed? 

7.  What  Jewish  Ceremonies  were  called  Baptisms  ? 

8.  What  terms  did  the  prophets  use  for  Ceremonial  Clean- 

sing? 

9.  Was  Christ  baptized  by  the  Jewish  Mode? 

10.  What  Ceremonies  among  the  Jews  were  called  Baptisms  in 

the  New  Testament? 

11.  What  was  the  Mode  of  Baptism  by  the  Holy  Ghost? 

12.  If  the  Spirit  was  "poured  out,"  what  mode  would   that 

imply  ? 

13.  If  Sinners  are  cleansed  by  "the  Sprinkling  of  blood,"  how 

should  that  be  represented  symbolically? 

14.  Show  that  the  circumstances  attending  the  Baptism  of  the 

Eunuch  were  not  favorable  to  Immersion. 

15.  What  do  the  circumstances  in  Paul's  Baptism  indicate? 

16.  Do  the  circumstances  in  the  Jailor's  case  make  Immersion 

practically  impossible  ? 

17.  Does  "buried  in  baptism"  indicate  the  element  was  "water," 

or  "death?" 

18.  Did  the  mode  of  burial  among  the  Ancients  have  any  resem- 

blance to  "Watery  graves  ?" 

19.  What  is  the  significance  of  being  "Buried  with  Christ"? 

20.  How  were  we  crucified  with  Christ? 

168 


21.  Would  "crucified"  be  used  in  a  Spiritual  sense  and  "buried" 

be  used  in  a  literal  sense  ? 

22,  What  is  the  significance  of   "One  Lord,   one  Faith  and 

one  Baptism?" 


)69 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Presbyterianism  and  the  Covenant. 

Infant  Church  Membership  and  Baptism 

1.  Are  Children  involved  in  Human  Relationships? 

2.  What  has  been  the  Historic  Practice  of  the  Church? 

3.  Did  the  Covenant  of  Works  include  Children? 

4.  Name  other  Covenants  involving  Children? 

5.  What  are  included  in  the  Abrahamic  Covenant? 

6.  Are  heirs  of  Christ  also  the  seed  of  Abraham  ? 

7.  Does  the  Circumcision  of   Christ  warrant  Infant  Church 

Membership  ? 

8.  Did  Christ  include  Children  in  the  Kingdom? 

9.  If  the  Church  is  the  "fold"  of  Christ,  should  the  "Sheep" 

be  included  and  the  "Lambs"  excluded  ? 

10.  Did   the   Pentecost  invitation   with   its   "Promise"   include 

children  ? 

11.  Are  Circumcision  and  Baptism  identical? 

12.  What  status  does  Paul  assign  to  children? 

13.  Were  Children  included  in  the  First  Baptism? 

14.  Name  the  various  Household  Baptisms  mentioned  in  New 

Testament. 

15.  Are  children  a  part  of  a  household? 

16.  Why  are  no  Household  Baptisms  mentioned  except  among 

Gentile  Converts? 

17.  Is  there,  any  stronger  argument  for  Infant  Salvation  than 

for  Infant  Baptism? 

18.  Are  the  arguments  for  the  two  practically  identical? 

19.  Do  Churches  which  forbid  the  Baptism  of  children  produce 

a  higher  type  of  Christian  Character  than  others? 


170 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Presbyterianism  in  Action. 

"•-.  What  is  Christ's  Criterion  of  Character? 

2.  What  influence  do  Creeds  have  on  Character? 

3.  Who  is  credited  as  the  Author  of  Modern  Liberty  ? 

4.  Narrate  Some  Achievements  of  Calvinism. 

5.  Give  account  of  the  Struggle  in  France. 

6.  Who  was  the  Founder  of  the  Dutch  Republic? 

7.  Quote  some  of  the  Tributes  paid   Scotland. 

8.  Give  account  of  the  Conflict  in  England. 

9.  What  was  the  Issue  in  the  Battle  of  the  Boyne  ? 

10.  Who  proclaimed  the  First  Declaration  of  Independence  in 

the  United  States? 

11.  What  part  did  Presbyterians  play  in  the  Revolution? 

12.  What  Church  has  furnished  the  Martyrs  of  the  Ages  ? 

13.  Give  some  account  of  the  Early  Ages. 

14.  Tell  of  the  Waldensian  Martyrs. 

15.  Give  account  of  St.  Bartholomew's  Day. 

16.  Narrate  the  Persecutions  in  Holland. 

17.  Describe  "The  Killing  Time"  in  Scotland. 

18.  What  are  some  modern  forms  of  Persecution? 

19.  Illustrate  the  influence  of  Calvinism  on  Individual  Lives. 

20.  Who    was    William    the    Silent?     John  Knox?     Andrew 

Melville?      Coligny?      Stonewall     Jackson?      Woodrow 
Wilson  ? 

21.  Illustrate  Influence  on  National  Life. 

22.  Give  Summary  of  Achievements  of  Calvinists. 


171 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Presbyterianism  and   Catholicity. 

1.  What  IS  the  Teaching  of  its  Confession  on  the  Communion 

of  Saints? 

2.  Does  its  definiton  of  the  Church  include  others? 

3.  Does  it  guarantee  the  Right  of  Private  Judgment? 

4.  Does  it  recognize  others  in  dismissing  members  or  receiv- 

ing them  from  other  Christian  Bodies? 

5.  Are  its  gifts  confined  to  itself? 

6.  Name  some  of  its  liberality  to  other  enterprises. 

7.  Show  its  preeminence  in  Federation  Movements. 

8.  Are  its  fundamental  principles  shared  by  others? 

9.  In  what  way  are  others  beginning  to  conform  to  its  Type  ? 

10.  Show  its  Catholicity  by  extent  of  its  numbers. 

11.  Show  this  by  the  extent  of  its  Territory. 

12.  In  what  sense  is  it  World-Wide? 


172 


CHAPTER  X. 

^refibpterianfem  anb  Miiiiom 

1.  What  is  the  chief  Mission  of  the  Church? 

2.  Show  that  the  essential  principles  of  Calvinism  are  calculated 

to  promote  Missions. 

3.  What  are  the  practical  proofs  of  the  Missionary  Spirit? 

4.  What  was  the  chief  characteristic  of  the  First  Century? 

5.  Who  was  the  greatest  Calvinist  and  Missionary — ^Why? 

6.  Give  account  of  the  First  Protestant  Mission  undertaken. 

7.  What  was  the  character  of  Calvin's  Missionary  Work  ? 

8.  Show  that  Calvinism  was  inherently  Missionary. 

9.  What  part  has  Calvinism  had  in  Modern  Revivals? 

10.  Name  some  of  the  greatest  Calvinistic  Missionaries  of  the 

World. 

11.  Show  the  Missionary  Spirit  of  Presbyterianism. 

12.  Recite  some  of  the  Testimonies  to  that  effect. 

13.  Give  account  of  American  Presbyterianism  in  Missions. 

14.  Show  the  Cosmopolitan  Character  of  Presbyterianism. 

15.  What  is  the  guarantee  of  Victory? 

16.  Demonstrate  it  by  Prophecy. 

17.  Show   that   the   Eternal   Decree   of    God   guarantees   the 

triumph  of  Christ  and  His  universal  reign. 


173 


INDEX 


Achievements,     Presbyterian,     138, 

139 
Adams,  John,  President,  quoted,  40 
America,  Conflict  in,  39,  125 
Ancient  Church  and  Missions,  152 
Anglo-Saxon,   Reversion  to   Pagan- 
ism, 28 

Apostolic  succession,  19,  20 
Armaud,  Henri,  quoted,  24 
Arminianism,  42 
Attributes,  Divine,  and  Calvinism, 

48 
Augustine,  Missionary,  28 

Baker,  Judge  Henry,  quoted,  138 

Bancroft,  quoted,  125 

Baptism  and  Circumcision,  107,  112 

Baptism,  Classic,  89 

Baptism,  Definition,  87 

Baptism,  Individuals,  97 

Baptism  into  death,  99 

Baptism,  Jewish,  92 

Baptism,  Mode  not  essential,  88 

Baptism,  New  Testament  Usage,  96 

Baptism  of  Children  Scriptural,  106 

Baptism  of  Christ,  9.4 

Baptism  of  Holy  Ghost,  96 

Baptism  of  Infants  Historic,  103 

Baptism,  Prophetic,  93 

Baptism,  Red  Sea,  91,  114 

Baptisms,  Household,  115 

Bapto  vs.  Baptizo,  88 

Barnes,  Albert,  quoted,  42 

Beecher,  Henry  Ward,  quoted,  136 

Bible,  Only  Rule  of  Faith,  3,  75 

Bohemia,  Martyrdom,  132 

Boyne,  Battle  of,  124 

Brevard,  Ephraim  and  Declaration, 

40 
Briggs,  Chas.  A.,  quoted,  145 
Britannica  Encyclopedia,  quoted,  74 
Buckle,  quoted,  119,  123 

Calvin  and  Missions,  153 
Calvinism,  Achievements,  139 
Calvinism  and  Liberty,  119 
Calvinism  and  Missions,  151,  154 
Calvinism  and  Revivals,  155 


Calvinism  differs  from  Fatalism,  43, 

51 
Calvinism,  Guaranty  of  Victory,  160 
Calvinism,  Influence  on  Moral  Char- 
acter, 55 
Calvinism,  Keynote,  Grace,  44 
Calvinism  magnifies  grace,  44,  56 
Calvinism  of  Presbyterianism,  51 
Calvinism,  Philosophy,  6,  43 
Calvinism,  Scope  of,  6 
Calvinism  vindicates  justice,  56 
Calvinism,  Why  Revealed,  57 
Cariyle,  Thomas,  quoted,  137 
Catholicity,  Presbyterian,  140 
Campbell,  quoted,  122 
Celtic  Christianity,  26,  27 
Children  and  Christ,  108 
Children  and  Kingdom,  109 
Children,  Status  of,  113 
Choate,  Rufus,  quoted,  127 
Christ  and  Calvinism,  45 
Christianity,  Eariy  Days  of,  22 
Christianity,  Celtic,  26 
Church,  Being  vs.  Well  being,  2 
Church  Courts,  Graduation  of,  16 
Church  Government,  Forms  of,  11, 

12 
Church,  Identity  of,  77 
Church  Polity,  Scriptural,  59 
Church,  Right  of  Appeal,  74 
Church,  Spiritual  Character,  17 
Church,  Unity  of,  71-74 
Circumcision  and  Baptism,  107,  112 
Clark,  Adam,  quoted,  48 
Columba,  St.,  quoted,  29 
Community  of  Life,  144 
Conformity   to   Presbyterian   Type, 

146 
Co-operation,  Presbyterian,   142 
Cosmopolitan  Presbyterianism,   159 
Covenant  and  Children,  102 
Covenant,  Abrahamic,  105 
Covenanters,  33-36,  132 
Council,  Advisory,  inadequate,  63 
Council,  Jerusalem,  Keystone,  60 
Council,  Prelacy  untenable,  61 
Council,  Principles  Presbyterian,  65 
-68 


175 


CHAPTER  I. 

PRESBYTERIANISM— A  SYSTEM. 

Introduction. 

1.  Kindred  Principles  form  a  Complete  System. 

2.  Basic  Principle  in   Nature,   Philosophy  and  Religion. 

3.  Presbyterianism,  a  Distinctive  System  of  Truth. 

I.  The  First  Principle. 

The  Word  of  God,  the  only  Rule  of  Faith  and  Practice. 

1.  Variations  Illustrated. 

2.  Presbyterianism  Insists  on  the  Whole  Bible. 

3.  Its  Principles  Interwoven  Throughout  the   Scriptures. 

II.  The  Second  Principle. 

Emphasizes  Divine  Sovereignty  and  Human  Free-Agency. 

1.  A  System  of  Theology  and  a  Type  of  Philosophy. 
Solution  of  the  Universe  and  Explanation  of  Providence. 
Predestination,  the  Purpose  of  God  in  Eternity. 
Providence,  the  Unfolding  of   That  Purpose. 

2.  Sovereignty,  and  Free-Agency  Illustrated. 
Old  Testament  Illustration — Joseph. 

New  Testament  Illustration — Parable  of  the  Lost. 

3.  Analogy  of  Nature,  Architecture,  Pattern. 

III.  The  Third  Principle. 

Presbyterianism,  A  Government  hy  Elders. 

1,  Three  Primary  Forms  of  Government. 

2.  The  Elements  of  the  Presbyterian  Form : 

(1)  Election  of  Representatives  by  the  People. 

(2)  Identity  of  Elders  and  Bishops. 

(3)  Plurality  of  Elders  in  Every  Church. 

(4)  Ordination  by  a  Church  Court. 

(5)  Gradation  of  Courts  from  Lower  to  Higher. 

IV.  The  Fourth  Principle. 

The  Spiritual  Character  of  the  Church. 

1.  No  Commission  to  Function  in  Civil  AflFairs. 

2.  The  Mission  of  the  Church  is  Evangelistic. 

CHAPTER  II. 

PRESBYTERIANISM    IN    HISTORY. 

Introduction. 

The  Antiquity  of  Presbyterianism. 

1.  Apostolic   Succession, — Spurious  vs.  Genuine. 

2.  Principles  Precede  Denominational  Names. 

3.  Historic  Development  of  the  Church. 

viii 


I.  The  Early  Days  of  Christianity. 

1.  Presbyterianism,  Historic  and  Scriptural. 

2.  Testimony  of  Edward  Gibbon  and  Jerome. 

II.  The  Waldenses. 

1.  Principles,  Not  Always,  Nor  in  All  Parts,  Presbyterian 

2.  Through  Persecution  "Kept  the  Faith." 

3.  Represented  in  Pan  Presbyterian  Alliance. 

III.  Celtic  Christianity. 

1.  Ancient  Origin  Unaccountable. 

2.  Reversion  to  Paganism  in  England. 

3.  Christianity  Restored  by  Augustine  the  Monk. 

4.  St.  Patrick  in  Ireland  Preceded  Him. 

5.  lona  and  the  Culdees. 

6.  Type  Not  the  Modern  Papal  System. 

7.  Huguenots,  Dutch  and  Hungarians  Had  Same  Conflict. 

IV.  Conflict  Between  Presbytery  and  Episcopacy. 

1.  The  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith. 

2.  The  Covenanters  "Kept  the  Faith." 

3.  The  Heroic  Struggle  in  Scotland. 

4.  The  Restoration  of  the  Stuarts. 

(1)  Political  Consequences. 

(2)  Religious  Disaster. 

V.  The  Conflict  Transferred  to  America. 

1.  War  of  the  Revolution  Not  for  Civil  Rights  Alone. 

2.  Presbyterians  Played  the  Larger  Part. 

3.  Chief  Victory  Was  Religious  Liberty. 

CHAPTER  III. 

PRESBYTERIANISM  AND  CALVINISM. 

Introduction. 

1.  Relation  Between  These  Terms. 

2.  Kindred  Principles  of  Philosophy. 

I.  "To  the  Law  and  to  the  Testimony." 

1.  The  Testimony  of  Christ. 

2.  The  Theology  of  Paul,  Peter  and  John. 

3.  Statements  of  Other  Inspired  Writers. 

II.  The  Logic  of  Philosophy. 

1.  The  Nature  of  the  Divine  Attributes. 

2.  Contingent  Events  Cannot  Be  Predicted. 

3.  Conditional   Decrees — A  Contradiction. 

III.  Science  and  Literature. 

1.  Science — Blind  Testimony  to  the  Truth. 

2.  Literature  Lends  Its  Assent. 

IV.  The  Calvinism  of  Presbyterianism. 

1.  Calvinism,  Not  Fatalism. 

2.  Sovereignty  and  Free-Agency  Alike  Taught. 

Illustrations   Support  the  Truth. 

ix 


3.  Influence  of  Calvinism  on  Character. 

4.  Calvinism  Vindicates  the  Justice  of  God. 

5.  Magnifies  the  Grace  of  God. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

PRESBYTERIANISM  AND  CHURCH  POLITY. 

Introduction. 

1.  The  Historic  Appeal  vs.  Scriptural  Appeal. 

2.  The  Council  at  Jerusalem,  Keystone  of  Church  Polity. 

I.  The  Prelatic  Theory  Untenable. 

1.  There  Were  Apostles  at  Antioch,  If  Inspiration  Needed. 

2.  Arguments  in  an  Inspired  Council,  Out  of  Place. 

II.  Advisory  Principle  Inadequate. 

1.  Refuted  by  Composition — "Apostles  and  Elders." 

2.  By  the  Binding  Authority  of  the  Decrees. 

3.  By  the  Extent  of  Its  Jurisdiction. 

III.  The  Presbyterian  System  Sustained. 

Established  by  the  Principles  Practiced. 

1.  Rulers,  Not  the  People,  Acted. 

(1)  Confirmed   by  Other   Teachings  and  Acts. 

(2)  Names  and  Distinctions  Indicate  Two  Classes. 

(3)  Directions,  How  to  Rule,  Imply  Two  Classes. 

(4)  Instructions  to  the  People  to  "Obey"  Rulers. 

(5)  Plurality  of  Elders  Cannot  Otherwise  Be  Explained. 

2.  Disproves  the  Claims  of  Prelacy. 

(1)  Decision,  Not  by  "Apostles"  Only  But  Includes  "Elders." 

(2)  Apostles  Present  as  Ruling  Elders. 

(3)  Elders  Present  in  the  Capacity  of  Rulers. 

3.  Equality  of  the  Eldership. 

(1)  Associated  v/ith  Apostles   on  Equality. 

(2)  Decree  Published  in  Name  of  Elders  as  Well. 

4.  Exhibits  the  Unity  of  the  Church. 

(1)  Affected  Not  Antioch  Alone  But  Whole  Church. 

(2)  Name  "Church"  in  the  Singular,  Expressing  Unity. 

(3)  Figures  Employed— "Family,"  "Temple."  "Body." 

5.  Exhibits  the  Right  of  Appeal. 

(1)  Trouble  at  Antioch  Settled  at  Jerusalem. 

(2)  Furnishes  Precedent  for  Similar  Cases. 

■     6.     Shows  Scriptures  as  the  Sole  Authority. 

(1)  The  Council  Appealed  to  Scriptures. 

(2)  Not  Legislative  But  Declarative. 

CHAPTER  V. 

PRESBYTERIANISM  AND  THE  SACRAMENTS. 
The  Lord's  Supper. 
Introduction. 

1.  The  Identity  of  the  Church. 

2.  The  Proofs  of  That  Identity. 


(1)  Church  in  All  Ages  Had  the  Same  Theology. 

(2)  Salvation  by  Faith  Under  Each  Dispensation. 

(3)  Sacraments,  the  Same  in  Both  Testaments. 

(4)  Constitution,  the  Same — Government  by  Elders. 

I.  The  Significance  and  Purpose  of  a  Sacpament. 

1.  Definition  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

2.  Diverse  Interpretations. 

(1)  Roman  Catholic  Contradicts  Senses  and  Reason. 

(2)  The  Lutheran  Contradicts  Law  of  Nature. 
-    (3)     The  Zwinglian  Inadequate. 

II.  The  Calvinistic  Interpretation. 

1.  Symbolic  of  Redemption. 

2.  Sealing  Ordinance. 

3.  Commemoration  of  Calvary. 

4.  Anticipation  of  Second  Coming, 

5.  Gracious  Purpose. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

PRESBYTERIANISM  AND    THE    SACRAMENTS. 

Baptism. 

Introduction. 

1.  Definition  of  Baptism. 

2.  Mode,  Not  Essential. 

I.  The  Meaning  of  the  Word. 

1.  Classic  Meaning  in  Greek  Literature. 

2.  Difference  Between  Bapto  and  Baptizo. 

II.  Scriptural  Usages  Determine  the  Mode. 

1.  Baptized  in  the  Red  Sea,  But  Not  Immersed. 

2.  Jewish  Ritual  Baptisms. 

3.  Prophetic  Baptisms. 

4.  The  Baptism  of  Christ — ^Jewish. 

5.  New  Testament  Usage  of  Terms. 

6.  Baptism  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

7.  Individual  Baptisms. 

8.  Baptism  "Into  Death"— Not  Water. 

9.  Sprinkling,  Common  to  Both  Testaments. 
10.  "One  Lord,  One  Faith,  One  Baptism." 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PRESBYTERIANISM  AND  THE  COVENANT. 
Infant  Church  Membership. 
Introduction. 

1.  Human  Relationships. 

2.  The  Historic  Practice  of  the  Church. 

I.    The  Covenants  and  the  Children. 

1.  The  Covenant  with  Adam  for  His  Posterity. 

2.  The  Abrahamic  Covenant. 

xi 


II.     Scriptural  Warrant  for  Baptism  of  Children. 

1.  The  Circumcision  of  Christ. 

2.  Christ  and  the  Children. 

3.  The  Fold  and  the  Lambs. 

4.  Pentecost  and  the  Promise, 

5.  Circumcision  and  Baptism  Identical. 

6.  The  Status  of  Children. 

7.  The  First  Baptism. 

8.  Household  Baptisms  in  New  Testament. 

9.  Infant  Baptism  vs.  Infant  Salvation. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

PRESBYTERIANISM    IN   ACTION. 

Introduction. 

1.  "Wisdom  Justified  of  Her  Children." 

2.  Creeds  Influence  Character. 

I.  Calvinism  and  Liberty. 

1.  The  Huguenots  of  France. 

2.  The  Dutch  Republic. 

3.  The  Covenanters  of  Scotland. 

4.  The  Puritans  and  Presbyterians  in  England. 

5.  The  Heroic  Struggle  in  America. 

II.  Presbyterianism  and  Martyrdom. 

1.  The  Early  Days  of  Christianity. 

2.  The  Waldensian  Martyrs. 

3.  "The  Burning  Bush"  in  France. 

4.  The  Duke  of  Alva  in  Holland. 

5.  "The  Killing  Time"  in  Scotland. 

6.  Modern  Persecutions. 

III.  Presbyterianism  and  Moral  Character. 

1.  Individual  Illustrations. 

2.  National  Character. 

3.  Summary  of  Achievements. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

PRESBYTERIANISM  AND   CATHOLICITY. 

Introduction. 

1.  The  Confession  of  Faith  Recognizes  "Communion  of  Saints.*' 

2.  Guarantees  "Right  of  Private  Judgment." 

I.  The  Recognition  of  Other  Faiths. 

L     Dismisses  Members  Freely  to  Other  Denominations. 
2.     Accepts  Certificates  From  All  Evangelical  Churches, 

II.  Presbyterian  Cooperation. 

I.     Liberal  Support  of  Undenominational  Enterprises, 

III.  Presbyterian  Preeminence  in  Federation. 

1.    Commends  and  Enters  All  Joint  Organizations. 

xll 


IV.  Community  of  Faith  and  Life. 

1.  In  Some  Form  All  its  Principles  Endorsed  by  Others. 

2.  Its  Spiritual  Life  Shared  by  Various  Others. 

V.  Conforming  to  the  Presbyterian  Type. 

1.     Many  Others   Incorporating  its  Essential   Features. 

VI.  Catholicity  in  Extent  of  Empire. 

1.  In  the  Multitude  of  its  Numbers. 

2.  World  Wide  Extent  of  its  Territory. 

CHAPTER  X. 

PRESBYTERIANISM  AND  MISSIONS. 

Introduction. 

1.  The  Mission  of  the  Church. 

2.  Presumption  in  Favor  of  the  Missionary  Spirit  of  Calvinism. 

I.  Results,  the  Practical  Test. 

1.  Missionary  Spirit  of  First  Century. 

2.  Paul,  the  Model  Missionary. 

3.  John  Calvin  and  Missions. 

4.  Father  of  Evangelical  Missions. 

5.  First  Effort  of  Protestantism  in  Missions. 

II.  Calvinism,  Inherently  Missionary. 

1.  Successes  in  Europe. 

2.  Calvinism  and  Modern  Revivals. 

III.  The  Missionary  Spirit  of  Presbyterianism. 

1.  Leads  in  Gifts  and  Missionary  Heroes. 

2.  Testimonies  to  its  Achievements. 

3.  American_  Presbyterian  Effort. 

4.  Cosmopolitan  Character  of   Presbyterianism. 

IV.  Calvinism,  the  Guarantee  of  Victory. 

1.  Prophecy,  the  Assurance  of  Triumph. 

2.  The  Divine  Decree  Guarantees  Christ's  Victory. 


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